Harvest Season is here for regional farmers
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Harvest season is underway, at least for some crops. Harvest season marks the time when mature crops are gathered from the fields, but timing varies.
Wheat is typically harvested between June and August in North America, while corn and soybeans are harvested from September through November.
When it comes to crops, Missouri is known for soybeans and corn. USDA’s 2024 state agriculture overview, Missouri farmers harvested 5.8 million acres of soybeans and 3.3 million acres of corn.
Across the river, Kansas harvested about 5.8 million acres of corn last year, outpacing Missouri.
Reaching harvest isn’t easy. Farmers face challenges such as weather, equipment costs, economic pressure and the natural stages of crop growth.
Too much or too little rain, poor soil moisture or equipment failures can all threaten yields— the amount of a crop grown per unit area of land.
Connie Fischer, Kansas Corn's Director of Innovation and Commercialization, said weather will always play a role.
"You can be the best planner," Fischer said. "But the weather will still dictate how you are going to do for the year."
When it comes to actually comes to harvesting, farmers prefer dry conditions.
“It’s good for us because the ground’s firm,” said Tyler Schwader, a self-employed farmer. “We’re not making any compaction or ruts. We’re not held up … it just keeps chugging along.”
When harvests fall short, the impacts can be significant. For farmers, it means smaller profits. On a larger scale, cattle producers may have to pay more for feed and ethanol prices could rise as well.
