The mid-to-late summer dry period led to drought conditions in central-Illinois. But a few weeks into the harvest finds area farmers and grain elevator operators saying yields are good to very good.

Soybean yields very pleasing, according to local reports.
Despite the lack of rain in August and September, "soybeans are a huge surprise," according to elevator operators.

Parts of Vermilion, Iroquois and Ford counties, have typical yields in the mid-50 to mid-60 bushels per acre this fall.

In Vermilion County, "Everyone is pleasantly surprised with how the early beans are turning out, given the dry weather in August," said Tom Fricke, director of information for the Vermilion County Farm Bureau.

"It's not a bin-buster by any means, but it's what most would characterize as an average yield," he said.

Farmers already anticipated a good corn crop, and corn is slightly better than what was expected. The quality is really good. And there's no aflatoxin issues this year."
Despite a wet spring and a dry end to summer, the size of the corn and soybean crops will stack up well compared with previous years, Fricke said.

Only the 2009 crop was larger for corn, and only the 2010 crop was larger for soybeans, he added.

Although most farmers in this area normally start harvesting in mid-September, it was closer to early October when farmers got out in the fields this year. Area elevators are reporting, East Central Illinois farmers are approaching the halfway mark for harvest.

94.1 FM, WGFA