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Illinois harvest nearing finish

The USDA says harvest in Illinois is nearing completion.

Ogle County farmer Norm Deets has been finished for nearly a month.

“It is the best year that I have ever experienced when it comes to yields, weather, and harvest ability.”  He says, “I finished my harvest around October 8th. Usually, I don’t even start picking corn till after October 8^th.”

The latest weekly crop progress and condition report shows 95% of the corn crop is harvested, up 8% over last week, and 14% ahead of the five-year average.  Ninety five percent of the soybean crop is harvested, 5% ahead of last week, and 8% ahead of normal.  Deets tells Brownfield…

“I think we were blessed with good weather, rain at the right time, but I definitely think what I’ve done with no-till and regenerative ag over the years paid big dividends as well this year,” he says.

Winter wheat planting reached 92%, with 69% emerged, compared to 87% planted on average.

Sixty five percent of Illinois topsoil moistures were rated short or very short as of Sunday.