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We’ve had a very rainy and soggy Iowa corn and soybean harvest this year. There were very few days dry enough for field work, but we still came out with surplus crops. The leaves have changed, the holidays are nearly upon us! With winter planting nearest done, let’s take a look back this month’s corn and soybean harvest.

The Corn Harvest

Iowa’s corn harvest was roughly 5 days ahead of average despite wet weather. Yields were pretty good, but when there’s rain, there are wet crops that need to be dried. We don’t often think about it, but it takes a lot of propane and natural gas to dry wet crops like corn and soy and that money needs to come from somewhere. To compound that, many farmers were worried about trade and the ultimate price of corn. Their concerns were not unfounded; commodity prices have been depressed by the trade war, despite the USDA's trade aid package.

The Soybean Harvest

This year’s soybean harvest was averaged about one day ahead overall. Although rains slowed the process down, this year’s yield was also above average. While soybean farmers also worry about trade and the price of soybeans, there are still areas where storage of surplus soybeans is still an issue. 

Storage Is Still An Issue

While we’ve learned from the storage crisis four years ago in 2014, we still need room to accommodate soybeans. Plus, when you combine this year’s crop of corn and soybeans with the other fall crops with space we had available, finding space for that many bushels of corn and soy were difficult. Space has always been at a premium, but experts predict that this will be the norm and not the exception. They fear that we’ve outgrown our capacity and we need to think about other grain storage solutions. 

What Was Your Experience With This Iowa’s Corn And Soybean Harvest This Year?

Farm2Ranch.comcovers up to date farm and agriculture news as well as the latest events. Are you a soybean or corn farmer? What was your experience with Iowa’s corn and soybean harvest this year? Tell us in the comments below or contact us for more info on the agriculture news, events and so much more.