Cutting the corn....

[Aging Baby Boomer]

One of the real farmers around Florence started combining his corn fields yesterday (7/24/07). That could be the earliest I've ever seen corn being harvested. Does anybody know if this could be related to E-85 production?

[Turd Ferguson]

rain possible next 7 days- Its been so dry I am surprised it hasnt popped already- and its about time for a Hurricane to come up the pipe- practically August already and no mention of a storm the weather forecasters, especially Jim Cantore, are hating it...

[Catdaddy]

I see where most of the farmers in my area have bushogged around every field so it will dry out quicker. They don't usually do mow this early if at all. There seems to be a race to market for some reason.

Maybe they are concerned about hurricanes and wind damage.

[shamrock]

early season variety coupled with extreme ly dry weather has the corn drying down earlier than normal this year--lots of the the corn was planted earlier than normal because of warm spring , so it ripens early too.

[mdb]

i saw a row of fields that had been harvested around bowman a week ago today. i was thinking the same thing as you.

mdb

[buckshot1224]

Originally posted by shamrock:
early season variety coupled with extreme ly dry weather has the corn drying down earlier than normal this year--lots of the the corn was planted earlier than normal because of warm spring , so it ripens early too.

BINGO!! We have about 40 acres of corn that could be harvested in a week or 2 if we were going to see it but all of ours is for cows and wildlife.

[rp]

Around Bowman, my brother in law cuts his corn for sileage. He has an assload of it this year.

When cutting for sileage, it has to have a certain moisture content. If it is too dry, it is no good. They cut it when they have to.

Some forecasters are expecting a shortage in soybeans with all that has been planted in corn this year. You may be seeing some farmers trying to get a crop of beans in the ground before it is too late.

Another thing you may notice next year, a lot of farmers are getting put out with the peanut processors and their contracts with the farmers. Peanuts may cost more next year. My brother in law did not plant any this year.

[buckshot1224]

I agree about the soybeans. We put some in about 3 weeks ago right after we cut all of our rye. I think it is getting too late for soybeans now though.

[skrimp]

Most of the farmers around here have dryers so they can cut early and get a jump on the silos. The way corn prices have gone down, I think it will hurt them this year.

[Aging Baby Boomer]

We talked to a farmer who told us that the early corn being cut is, indeed, for E-85. The corn is under contract to an ethanol producer, and they want the corn with high moisture for this use. Says the large combines being used are trucked in from Virginia.