Farm Progress

Farmers make slow progress in fields, but quality isn’t good

Group 3 soybeans planted early in Maryland are seeing lots of damage.

Chris Torres, Editor, American Agriculturist

October 19, 2018

3 Min Read
BAD BEANS: The owners of Scot-Vu Farm in Chambersburg, Pa., were expecting a soybean yield of 70 bushels an acre, but this year’s wet weather has caused lots of damage in the fields.Courtesy of Scot-Vu Farm

A-70-bushel-per-acre soybean yield was likely at Scot-Vu Farm in Chambersburg, Pa., this year. Then the rains came.

"Now we are hoping for 20. Half the pods are rotted or split open and empty," the owners of the farm posted on the American Agriculturist Facebook page. The cost of growing those soybeans was $400 an acre.

This has been the story across farms this fall as too much rain has caused sprouting in corn and soybeans, and rotting pods have become the norm.

Pennsylvania farmers are still trying to catch up. The latest Crop Progress Report put out earlier this week by the National Agricultural Statistics Service shows 26% of grain corn harvested and 17% soybeans completed, both well-below their five-year averages for this time of year.

The state's apple crop, one of the largest in the country, is 81% complete, but growers are concerned about quality.

"Apple harvest continues, however, quality issues due to this summer-fall wet weather conditions and issues with how apples will be when stored as they are breaking down already. This isn't good as fresh-market apples are paid how they pack out, so anything that isn't marketable doesn't get compensated for," says Judy A. Behney, a crops reporter.

Maryland grain suffers
South of the Mason-Dixon line, farmers aren't fairing any better. This week's report shows 60% of the state's corn in either "poor" or "fair" condition while soybeans look even worse with 26% rated "fair," 18% rated "poor" and 11% rated "very poor." Again, blame the rainy weather.

"Soybeans have mixed reports. Some fields have terrible quality beans while others are OK. Group 3 beans planted early seem to have the most reports of sprout or moldy beans," says Matt Morris, a crops reporter in Frederick County.

Overall, 53% of the corn crop and 8% of soybeans have been harvested. The state's apple crop is 76% complete, and barley and winter wheat plantings are behind schedule.

Same goes for growers in Delaware where barley and winter wheat plantings are also behind. The corn crop is 75% harvested while the soybean crop is 40% complete.

Too wet for agritourism
The Garden State's vital agritourism business is suffering from the rainy weather.

"More rain during harvest times and Halloween season dampening yields, increasing disease and discouraging agritourism," says Bill Sciarappa, a crops reporter in Monmouth County.

Debra Crisman, a crops reporter in Warren County, says crops are being rejected by mills in the area because of low quality, forcing farmers to find other markets and causing prices to drop.

Overall, the state's corn crop is 26% harvested, but the quality is not good with 45% of the crop rated "fair," "poor," or "very poor." Soybean quality is also being rated poorly.

Tale of two seasons
In New York, the southern part of state has been wet while North Country farms are experiencing drought.

Colleen Cargile, a reporter from Cayuga County, says the rains have made harvesting and fall planting "near impossible," and there will likely be many acres of prevented-planted fall grains.

Up north in Lewis County, recent rains have slowed field work. Joe Lawrence, crops reporter, says corn silage still in fields is getting too dry and may not ferment well.

Overall, the corn crop is 12% harvested while soybeans are 23% complete. The state's apple crop, second largest in the country, is 69% harvested while grapes are 62% harvested.

Winter wheat plantings are 55% complete, down from the five-year average of 75% for this time of year.

About the Author(s)

Chris Torres

Editor, American Agriculturist

Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, previously worked at Lancaster Farming, where he started in 2006 as a staff writer and later became regional editor. Torres is a seven-time winner of the Keystone Press Awards, handed out by the Pennsylvania Press Association, and he is a Pennsylvania State University graduate.

Torres says he wants American Agriculturist to be farmers' "go-to product, continuing the legacy and high standard (former American Agriculturist editor) John Vogel has set." Torres succeeds Vogel, who retired after 47 years with Farm Progress and its related publications.

"The news business is a challenging job," Torres says. "It makes you think outside your small box, and you have to formulate what the reader wants to see from the overall product. It's rewarding to see a nice product in the end."

Torres' family is based in Lebanon County, Pa. His wife grew up on a small farm in Berks County, Pa., where they raised corn, soybeans, feeder cattle and more. Torres and his wife are parents to three young boys.

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

You May Also Like