Rain is good...too much rain at once is bad...but even an inch or half inch right at harvest is not good for most farmers.
All year they have prayed for rain and begged for rain...and now that we are smack dab in the middle of the Soybean harvest, rain is forecast for the next three days beginning this afternoon!
Farmers have been working 18 hour days getting the soybeans out as rain and wind are not their friends right now. I estimate about 50% of the crop is harvested in the central part of Nebraska. Of the remaining 50%...about 3/4ths of that is ready to be harvested and the last 1/4th is still too high in moisture content.
Optimal moisture content for beans is about 13%.
SO why is rain bad? You mean besides the muddy ground factor?
Well...Even though the beans are drying out naturally...they can only have so much moisture content or the farmer is dinged price wise at the elevator.
Imagine trying to start your firepit with damp wood versus dry wood. Dangit...had you covered that wood before it rained it would be ready to use like the wood that was kept dry which starts more easily, right?
Same concept with soybeans and most other crops. They may have the correct soil content now...but after three days of rain...they will absorb moisture and have too high of a percentage within the bean.
Big Deal? YES!!
Moisture is not a friend to the storage facilities. It creates rot, mold, and other issues that cause spoilage...the storage facilities know this and they will use their historical loss formula for discounting what you get paid per bushel.
As I write this, it is about 9 am Central time...the combines are mostly idle for another few hours to allow the overnight dew from humidity to dissipate from the beans. Then it will be hard at it until the rains begin. I can feel the change in the air and know it is coming....
And yes we love rain...but would prefer to have it come next week before the corn is fully ready to be picked. So since we know it is coming...we will be ready and waiting when it dries down afterwards...because rarely does a farmer cuss on the rain god!!
Until Next time...keep your equipment in top running order...no matter where or what it is!!
Photos of the DDP Farms harvest a few years back in central Nebraska. New photos coming soon to a blog near you!!
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