Local Farmers Happy with Row Crop Harvest

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 Farmers are having a good row crop harvest season.

According to the Agriculture Department, North Dakota farmers are way ahead this year.

Soybeans. Corns. Sunflower seeds.

All of these row crops would usually be half way harvested.

But this year, almost all of the crops are already off the fields.

Most farmers would agree that it was a good season.

“It was very good. Almost perfect. Weather wise, throughout the summer we never got too much rain,” says Glyndon farmer, Ryan Zimmerman.

Rain came when it was needed.

But the sun gave a nice and warm October, making it faster to get the crops off early.

Something that doesn’t always happen

“It is mainly driven by good weather condition, good drying and the dryness so that the farmers can actually the harvest,” says NDSU Extension Agronomist, Hans Kandel.

A harvest season like this is what most farmers wish for every year.

Now that most crops are off the field it’s time to get ready for the next season.

“Start getting things ready for next year. Get things back in the yard cleaned up, fixed up. Ready to go, make plans for trying to figure out what we’re going to plant next year,” says Zimmerman.

Dry weather may be good for harvesting but a little drizzle is needed.

“We could use a little bit of rain to restore the soil’s moisture because next year, we hope to grow another crop. But it needs to have enough soil moisture, to get a good crop in the future,” says Kandel.

Farming runs in this family’s blood.

Dylan, who has known he was going to be a farmer since he was one, is ready for the spring harvest.

But on the Zimmerman farm in Glyndon it’s now off season.

Almost all of the row crops are wrapping up before the winter hits.

This is ahead of the five year average in North Dakota.