Season to Remember

Last month I shared a prediction by one forecaster that October could be the second warmest on record. According to NOAA, (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) the month of October ranked as the sixth warmest in 127 years for the entire country.

Forecasting weather with any accuracy is difficult so I'm inclined to say this prognosis was within tolerance. There were two states that had their warmest on record and a handful that had their second warmest, mostly states in the Northeast.

Precipitation in our region of the country was around 75% of normal for the month.

Neither of these stats are extreme enough to be alarming, but they do land directly in the "ideal harvest weather" bullseye. For the month of October and first ten days of November there were only a few short rain delays. Warm temps contributed to lower harvest moisture. This is an excellent recipe for getting work done.

Bean harvest finished on 10/11, setting a record yield by several bushels. This was not surprising as the combination of timely rains and best agronomic practices hinted at this possibility. However, as bean yields are hard to estimate pre harvest, we kept our expectations modest until the last field was cut, and the results calculated.

Corn harvest is around 90% complete. Down corn was widespread this season. This can lead to extremely low ground speed with the combine and one way picking, reducing productivity to a fraction of normal. The good news is we had cooperative weather for dealing with this challenge and very little grain was left on the ground. A new record average corn yield is possible but with 10% left, not a done deal.

Tillage, manure pumping, fertilizer application and land improvement operations are all on schedule. We were able to get the parts we needed to keep equipment running, and so far, no big-ticket breakdowns. I don't believe we've had to replace a truck engine this season.

Superstitious members of leadership will now firmly reprimand me for pointing this out. 

Even though Thanksgiving has always been our official target completion date, increasing harvest capacity has been a priority the last few years. Reaching the goal doesn't require the level of personal sacrifice of years past. This is just one of the ways we have responded to a more competitive labor market. It must be helping as retention is high and all positions are filled.  

I could list more things to be grateful for, but you get the point. Thanksgiving 2021 will be remembered at Pinicon Farm as a rewarding conclusion to one of our best seasons.

Hope yours is equally memorable.

Jim