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Minnesota farmers ahead of usual pace as harvest continues

Minnesota farmers capitalized on another week of favorable weather.

USDA’s latest crop update says soybean harvest is progressing more than a week faster than normal at 83 percent as of Sunday.

Wayne Schoper with South Central College in Mankato says it’s difficult to find a soybean field that hasn’t been harvested.

“I think there’s still a few around, but (for the most part) soybeans are out. Corn is well underway (and) I think we’re going to be wrapping up with a lot of farms with harvest.”

Schoper made these comments Friday during Brownfield affiliate KNUJ’s Farm Forum.

Statewide, corn for grain is 36 percent harvested, six days behind last year but four days ahead of the five-year average.

Sugarbeets are more than 80 percent harvested, the potato harvest is wrapping up, and a quarter of the sunflower crop has been taken out.