ST. CLOUD -- Just when farmers think the weather couldn't get any worse Mother Nature strikes again.

First a late spring made it difficult for farmers to start planting crops, now wet weather is delaying harvest.

Dan Martens is the Crop Extension Educator at the University of Minnesota. He says this year has not been ideal for crop production for farmers.

Martens says some farmers have been more successful in crop production than others.

However, with winter potentially here Martens says farmers are aware harvest time is running short.

With farmers finishing up their fall work, Martens reminds drivers to be aware of what farmers are doing on the roads.

Martens says there are some corn fields not ready for harvest and could use a few more weeks before winter.

Minnesota had it's first snow fall on Sunday.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Minnesota had only three days suitable for fieldwork last week. Minnesota's average temperature was nearly 43 degrees, almost 3 degrees below normal. Precipitation statewide averaged nearly 1.5 inches, and parts of Minnesota had trace amounts of snow by the week's end.

Ninety-five percent of Minnesota's corn crop is mature, slightly behind the five-year average of 96 percent. Ninety-seven percent of the soybean crop is mature.

The corn harvest is only 19 percent complete, well behind the normal 49 percent, while the soybean harvest is 80 percent complete, slightly behind the normal 83 percent.

 

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