Michigan Farmer Logo

The final crop progress report until April says wheat is off to a good start.

Jennifer Kiel, Editor, Michigan Farmer

December 8, 2022

1 Min Read
winter wheat seedlings emerge from soil
GOOD START: Winter wheat in both Michigan and Ohio has gotten a good start as it heads into the winter months.Ralf Geithe/Getty Images

By the last week of November, Michigan’s corn harvested for grain was reported as 95% in the weekly crop progress report by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. It surpasses last year’s 88%, as well as the five-year average of 82%.

"Above-freezing temperatures helped clear fields of snow, allowing producers to continue harvesting,” reports Marlo D. Johnson, director of the Great Lakes Regional Office for NASS.

Producers reported fields and pastures as muddy and wet from rain and snowmelt.

Moisture content at harvest was reported as 18%, unchanged from the previous week. Other activities during the last week of November included fall tillage where conditions allowed, hauling manure and prepping for winter. For winter wheat, 67% was reported as good or excellent, while only 1% was categorized as very poor.

According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor, counties in the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula in Michigan were reported as abnormally dry, and counties along Lake Huron in the southeast and Thumb region continued to experience moderate drought.

In Ohio, growers had a cool and dry spell to close out harvest. Corn for grain was 95% harvested, above last year and the five-year-average. The average moisture content was 18%.

Corn harvest was delayed in some western counties as farmers waited for space at grain elevators to become available, reports Cheryl Turner, state statistician for the NASS Ohio Field Office.

Winter wheat was 96% emerged, and winter wheat condition was rated 58% good to excellent. In the northwest, rain and warmer weather supported strong wheat growth.

A limited share of planned cover crops remained to be planted in western counties. Other field activities included applications of manure and fertilizer, as well as tile drainage systems.

About the Author(s)

Jennifer Kiel

Editor, Michigan Farmer

While Jennifer is not a farmer and did not grow up on a farm, "I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone with more appreciation for the people who grow our food and fiber, live the lifestyles and practice the morals that bind many farm families," she says.

Before taking over as editor of Michigan Farmer in 2003, she served three years as the manager of communications and development for the American Farmland Trust Central Great Lakes Regional Office in Michigan and as director of communications with Michigan Agri-Business Association. Previously, she was the communications manager at Michigan Farm Bureau's state headquarters. She also lists 10 years of experience at six different daily and weekly Michigan newspapers on her impressive resume.

Jennifer lives in St. Johns with her two daughters, Elizabeth, 19, and Emily 16.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like