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Harvest faces delays following rain across Minnesota

Recent rain is expected to stunt harvest activity across parts of Minnesota.

Brad Finstad and his family grow corn and soybeans near New Ulm in the south-central part of the state.

“We opened up our soybeans and were ready to get going and then we got hit with a couple inches of rain. It’s going to be important that we get in the fields pretty soon (because) we’re seeing a lot of bean fields turning over and they’re ready to go.”

He tells Brownfield soybeans were cutting well before the rain with about 12 percent moisture.

“And now you get a couple inches of rain (and) the stems get a little tougher, you have a little bit more mud and mud doesn’t make farming fun. And without the sun and the wind you have those beans and those pods holding moisture a little bit longer.”

Finstad represents Minnesota’s 1^st Congressional District in the U.S. House.

USDA’s latest weekly crop progress report shows corn harvest at 4 percent complete as of Sunday in Minnesota, equal to the five-year average.  Sixty-four percent of the crop is mature, compared to 48 percent normally.

Soybean harvest is slightly ahead of the usual pace at 8 percent, with nearly 80 percent dropping leaves.