The first 85 percent of the Upper Midwest corn and sunflower harvest went well, thanks to warm, dry weather in October and early November.
Winter's mid-November arrival complicates harvesting the final 15 percent.
Until winter hit, farmers were "going fast and furious (to finish harvesting). Then they were, quite literally, shut down in their tracks," says Lisa Behnken, crops educator with University of Minnesota Extension in Rochester.
Now, some area farmers are facing snowdrifts, biting winds and freezing temperatures to bring in their remaining crops.
There's concern, but no panic, about finishing the job, area ag officials say. Harvesting in December and even into the new year isn't uncommon in the Upper Midwest, so area farmers are taking the delays in stride.
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"We've harvested in the winter months before and we can do it again," Behnken says.
Many farmers had returned to their fields late in the week of Nov. 17.
The biggest issue for most producers is whether unharvested fields will be firm enough to support heavy machinery. Farmers want warmer temperatures to melt some of the accumulated snow, but also want to avoid temperatures high enough to turn fields soft and muddy.
If the weather cooperates, "We should be able to get most of the rest (unharvested grain) pretty soon," says Ruth Beck, agronomy field specialist with South Dakota State University Extension in Pierre.
The immediate outlook isn't promising, however. Below-average temperatures and above-average precipitation are likely in the Upper Midwest during the week of Nov. 24, according to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center.
Harvest pace OK overall
Even with winter's arrival, Upper Midwest producers are in good shape overall on harvest, according to the most recent statistics from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Harvest of most crops has wrapped up. The main exceptions are corn and sunflowers, typically the last two crops to be harvested in the region.
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As of Nov. 17, 85 percent of corn was harvested in North Dakota, 92 percent in South Dakota and 95 percent in Minnesota. All three are above-average for that date, a reflection of good harvest conditions in October and early November.
Some corn farmers, including Noah Hultgren, a Raymond, Minn., producer, have finished harvest already.
He estimates about 5 percent of corn in his area is still in the field, which is in line with the Minnesota statewide average.
The harvest pace usually varies from farm to farm and depends in large part on when fields were dry enough in the spring to plant. Localized thundershowers can delay planting and, as a result, push back harvest, too.
Area ag officials say more corn probably could have been harvested by Nov. 17, but some producers preferred to have corn dry naturally in fields instead of harvesting it and paying the cost of drying it mechanically. Corn prices have plunged in the past year, so cutting expenses by reducing drying costs is more important than ever.
The arrival of winter weather creates new storage concerns for corn and other crops.
Corn harvested at temperatures below freezing can be placed into storage, but shouldn't be put on top of warmer corn, says Ken Hellevang, grain drying specialist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service.
Sunflowers on schedule
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Also as of Nov. 17, North Dakota farmers had harvested 82 percent of their sunflowers, with South Dakota producers harvesting 80 percent. The rates are about average for that date, reflecting both the wet spring that delayed planting and the warm fall that offset those delays and bolstered harvest.
North Dakota is the nation's leading sunflower producer. South Dakota is second.
Sunflower producers are confident they'll be able to harvest the remaining crop, says John Sandbakken, executive director of the National Sunflower Association in Bismarck, N.D.
Unharvested sunflowers generally are still standing up, despite the bad weather, which will make harvesting them easier, he says.
Some farmers are waiting for snow on sunflower heads to melt away, reducing the moisture content of harvested seeds, he says.
Yields have been good, especially in parts of South Dakota where the crop's popularity has been growing, Sandbakken says.
