Area Farmers Are Bringing in the Harvest Early

As summer ends, area farmers are busy with an early start on their feed corn harvest.

Mark Schneidewind, manager of the Will County Farm Bureau, said farmers here typically start their harvests around Sept. 15. This year, however, some have started as early as  Sept. 6. Schneidewind said the harvest is drier and earlier this year thanks to the hot summer. Feed corn, unlike sweet corn, needs to be dry before it is harvested. 

Last October, area farmers spent hundreds of dollars drying corn because of the high moisture levels, Schneidewind said. This year, however, there were about 20 days of 90-degree-or-above temperatures. "We had more heat units than needed, so the corn dried faster." 

Jim Robbins, who farms more than 3,000 acres of farmland throughout Will County, including the Mokena area, said harvest on his feed crops began the week of Sept. 13.

"Things look good right now," Robbins said. 

The typical harvest ends around Thanksgiving, but Schneidewind said as long as there are not rain delays, Will County farmers will be finished before then.

Robbins said he hopes to be finished with his harvest well before Thanksgiving.

"It depends on the weather," he said. "Hopefully we will be done by the end of October."