Harvest in Western Ky

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Harvest has been going steady here in western Ky for about a week. Most corn is averaging 190-210 bushels per acre on a field average. Some reaching 225 plus. Moisture is in the 15 to 20 range. Test weights are good but some late season "rust" pulled some down. Not many beans have been run but most are in the area of 60 bushels. Very tall beans this year. Most are laying down and with a heavy rain they could be hard to harvest. Very dry locally with no rain in sight this week. Tobacco harvest is full blast and half or more complete. Leaf quality is average to poor in most areas, weight will be short. Common grass/legume hay is plentiful but quality is average at best. Happy harvast.

 

[mark02tj]

Just curious what "normal yields" are for corn and beans?

You're about 3 hours southwest of me (between Dayton and Cinci). Did you guys get a LOT of rain this year too? Did that affect the tobacco?

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Normal for corn 150-175, 50 for beans, double crop beans 25-30. Some corn planted/replanted late because of rain, 10% maybe. Some double crop beans did not get planted at all because of rain and July 15 insurance date. 15-20% maybe. A late outbreak of "frogeye" in beans caused some additional spraying as well as a late flush of stink bugs, last of August first of Sept. I would guess tobacco in my area probably 15% drowned and died and another 25% had major yield loss. Most corn ears are 35-45 long and 16-14 around. Finished pop of 28K give or take. No real harvest issues but some with shallow roots and thin stalks and heavy ears will break. (variety dependant) Lots of Becks, Channel, Dekalb, NK, and Croplan. A little Stine and Steyer, Pioneer. Holler back.

 

[MacLawn]

Soggy, you make ye living farming? I have a friend with about 137 acres now, and he leases it out to a beef farmer who has about 900 cattle. He uses this to grow cyow food. I know nothing about farming, but it's in me blood from way back.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Yes I do. I come from a traditional Ky cattle and tobacco farm, Less tobacco now, more grain. My family were French immigrants and settled on the farm where I live in 1824. They arrived in Maryland in 1750. My wifes family farm joins my families at a Northeast corner. They were also a cattle and tobacco farm but her Grandfather was locally famous for making sorghum molasses. I guess it's in my blood too.

 

[RSKY]

What county?

 

[MacLawn]

Yes I do. I come from a traditional Ky cattle and tobacco farm, Less tobacco now, more grain. My family were French immigrants and settled on the farm where I live in 1824. They arrived in Maryland in 1750. My wifes family farm joins my families at a Northeast corner. They were also a cattle and tobacco farm but her Grandfather was locally famous for making sorghum molasses. I guess it's in my blood too.

Wow, Soggy, we might be yard dog cousins! Maternal ancestors were French, came to America in 1656! I know farming is tough business, but I still envy farmers who can make a decent living at it. Especially the family farms, not those big time corporate boys. But they gotta eat too I reckon. If I could find a farmer who would let me, I'd cut his fields, plow, etc. for free! I used to bush hog a friends fields for him, man, I loved doing that! Even helping with baling square bales of hay was fun for me. Course I was a whippersnapper back then, but still love what little I've done on farms. Slopping hogs, baling hay, and my favorite, bush hogging fields.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

Meade Co Ky.

 

[milkman]

Meade Co Ky.

Howdy neighbor.

 

[RSKY]

Retired myself but farmers I have talked to say the corn harvest is huge. Ten percent better yields than normal. Don't know about beans yet and tobacco looks good. Also milo supposed to be good this year.

Graves County here.