By Gary Mays
newseditor@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Randy Bader jumps down from a grain truck to see a line of them down the long gravel driveway at Carousel Farms, waiting to bring in a harvest he says is two weeks ahead of schedule.
"We're going to finish early this year," said the part-owner of his family's farming operations, which has 10,000 acres in the southern part of the county and runs two grain elevators. "The weather has been so good to us."
And that's the sentiment across the county as local producers look to warm weather and clear skies to put them on pace for another record harvest, according to Mark Mayer, agriculture agent with Green County UW Extension.
Mayer said that not only is the crop coming in earlier than usual, but soybean yields as high as 75 bushels per acre have been seen.
It's the same story with corn - dry harvesting weather has producers out in the fields and preparing for an early wrap to the season. That's in marked contrast to last year's wet, lengthy and trying harvest.
"What a difference a year makes," Mayer said. "Last year, we had corn sitting out in December that had higher moisture contents than we had in September this year."
Mayer estimates that about 80 to 85 percent of the soybean crop is in, while about 30 percent of corn acreage has been harvested.
But even that number doesn't tell the whole story.
Producers, Mayer said, are allowing their corn to dry in the intense autumn sun, rather than harvest it and spend money on fuel to dry their crops - as many had to do a year ago.
The quality of the crop this year also is much-improved, he added, with dry weather helping to decrease incidence of mold, breakage and other yield-impacting factors. What's more, he said, prices also appear to be higher, though he noted those will vary as the season progresses.
The county averaged 49 bushels per acre in beans last year which was the highest county yield in the state in 2009. Normal soybean yields in the county average 45 bushels per acre.
This year, he added, the county looks to possibly log another record for beans. Green County corn also led the state last year, coming in at 178 bushels per acre.
Mayer said he's unsure whether Green County will set another yield record for corn, though he says that's possible.
"We really don't get years like this very often," he said. "Last year was one of the worst, this year is one of the best."
Back on the farm, Bader said he couldn't be happier with the his own crop. The only trouble spots, he added, are in low-lying areas.
"Green County yields are excellent and if we have any problems it's with wet spots," he said. "But the high ground is looking very good for us."
Meanwhile, Mayer said the ripple effect of the early harvest will be felt in winter wheat, as some farmers take advantage of the extra growing time to plant more of it.
Another bumper crop in Green County this year has wide-reaching, positive impacts on local economies - with every dollar received by farmers being turned over five to six times in the local economy, according to Mayer.
Still, he added, there are those in agriculture, such as dairy and livestock producers, for whom higher feed prices aren't necessarily a good thing.
newseditor@themonroetimes.com
MONROE - Randy Bader jumps down from a grain truck to see a line of them down the long gravel driveway at Carousel Farms, waiting to bring in a harvest he says is two weeks ahead of schedule.
"We're going to finish early this year," said the part-owner of his family's farming operations, which has 10,000 acres in the southern part of the county and runs two grain elevators. "The weather has been so good to us."
And that's the sentiment across the county as local producers look to warm weather and clear skies to put them on pace for another record harvest, according to Mark Mayer, agriculture agent with Green County UW Extension.
Mayer said that not only is the crop coming in earlier than usual, but soybean yields as high as 75 bushels per acre have been seen.
It's the same story with corn - dry harvesting weather has producers out in the fields and preparing for an early wrap to the season. That's in marked contrast to last year's wet, lengthy and trying harvest.
"What a difference a year makes," Mayer said. "Last year, we had corn sitting out in December that had higher moisture contents than we had in September this year."
Mayer estimates that about 80 to 85 percent of the soybean crop is in, while about 30 percent of corn acreage has been harvested.
But even that number doesn't tell the whole story.
Producers, Mayer said, are allowing their corn to dry in the intense autumn sun, rather than harvest it and spend money on fuel to dry their crops - as many had to do a year ago.
The quality of the crop this year also is much-improved, he added, with dry weather helping to decrease incidence of mold, breakage and other yield-impacting factors. What's more, he said, prices also appear to be higher, though he noted those will vary as the season progresses.
The county averaged 49 bushels per acre in beans last year which was the highest county yield in the state in 2009. Normal soybean yields in the county average 45 bushels per acre.
This year, he added, the county looks to possibly log another record for beans. Green County corn also led the state last year, coming in at 178 bushels per acre.
Mayer said he's unsure whether Green County will set another yield record for corn, though he says that's possible.
"We really don't get years like this very often," he said. "Last year was one of the worst, this year is one of the best."
Back on the farm, Bader said he couldn't be happier with the his own crop. The only trouble spots, he added, are in low-lying areas.
"Green County yields are excellent and if we have any problems it's with wet spots," he said. "But the high ground is looking very good for us."
Meanwhile, Mayer said the ripple effect of the early harvest will be felt in winter wheat, as some farmers take advantage of the extra growing time to plant more of it.
Another bumper crop in Green County this year has wide-reaching, positive impacts on local economies - with every dollar received by farmers being turned over five to six times in the local economy, according to Mayer.
Still, he added, there are those in agriculture, such as dairy and livestock producers, for whom higher feed prices aren't necessarily a good thing.