Farmers across the county have mostly finished cutting silage, a high-energy feed used for cattle and other livestock to sustain them through dry seasons and winter. Corn used for silage is harvested while it still has plenty of moisture, preserving a higher percentage of nutrients than dry storage. Field corn and soybeans should be ready for harvest in the next week or two.
Posted
Carleen Wild
With most silage fields harvested across Moody County, local farmers are now waiting for the right conditions to begin this year’s corn and soybean harvest.
“We still need moisture levels to drop quite a bit,” said Tab Peper, a farmer in the area.
He added that despite the wet spring, the growing season seems to have only been delayed by a week or two. Friends and neighbors agree that the start of harvest is just around the corner.
According to recent USDA crop reports, the outlook for this year’s crops appears promising. As of last week, 51% of corn was rated as good, with 14% rated excellent. Soybeans were reported at 50% good, and 11% excellent.
Peper and his wife, Marcia, farm nearly 1,000 acres across the county. While they’re still waiting on a damage report from a hailstorm this past Friday, they remain optimistic about the season.
“Marcia and I have always talked, and we get by, we love what we do,” Peper said about their operation.
According to the 2022 Census, Moody County had 413 farms, with an average size of 523 acres. A total of 181,623 acres were reported as cropland.
The Department of Transportation and local officials remind drivers to be cautious and patient on roads during harvest season, as large farm equipment will be more frequent on area highways.
