The fall harvest is commencing and farmers from all around the area are gathering their crops on what looks like a very productive season.

 

The USDA forecasts record-high corn and soybean production in 2014. Cotton production is also up from 2013.

 

Unlike last fall when hot, dry conditions stunted the harvest for some, heavy rains in the past two weeks have left Minnesota topsoil moisture to a surplus level on 9% of cropland. Moisture is rated adequate for 85%, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

As a result of the recent rains through last Thursday, the St. Paul-based Minnesota Field Office forecasts this year's corn production at 1.36 billion bushels — or about 170 per acre. That's 4% higher than last year and a 1% increase since August, according to the USDA.

 

Scott Johnson of JJJ Farms in Becker Twp. was out loading big rigs this week with corn he and his family harvested last fall. This year’s crop will be ready to be combined in the next two weeks or so.

 

“We’ll see how the corn is by then, hopefully its good despite the frost we had the other night,” said Scott.

 

Scott and his son Sam were filling trucks and then driving them up to the Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-op in Little Falls Thursday afternoon. Scott and Sam are considered one of the “J’s” of JJJ Farms along with Scott’s brother, Steve and their dad Norm of Norm’s Farm Market.

 

“Soybeans are probably being harvested this week, however,” said Scott.

 

U.S. soybean producers are expected to produce a record 3.82 billion bushels in 2014, up 16% from last year according to the crop production report issued Sept. 17 by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Growing conditions were conducive for corn growers who are also expected to produce a record-high crop at 14.0 billion bushels of corn, up 1% from 2013 which was also a record at the time.

 

Despite a late winter season delay in planting corn, more favorable spring conditions arrived allowing quick planting and largely favorable growing conditions that encouraged the record high production forecast.

 

For soybeans, by June 1, 50% of the soybean crop had emerged, 21 percentage points ahead of last year’s pace and five percentage points ahead of normal. Positive conditions in most soybean-producing areas of the country brought on strong percentages of the crop being rated good to excellent and the record forecast.