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More rain slows Wisconsin corn & hay harvest

More rain led to less field work in Wisconsin last week.  USDA reporters say up to five inches of rain fell in some places making it too muddy to harvest.  It was wet in northern and northwestern Wisconsin, but much of Clark, Price, and Taylor counties were dry and windy allowing for field work.

Despite the rain, USDA says crops are drying down rapidly.  Corn was being harvested for both silage and high-moisture grain last week.  There were also reports of farmers starting to combine soybeans, while others are trying to get a fourth crop of hay in.  The heat and high humidity from early last week made it difficult to get the hay dry enough to bail.  Several farmers are concerned about the small amount of hay they are getting this year.

USDA reporters in Lafayette County along the Illinois border say diseased corn stalks are weak and causing harvest problems.  Several southwestern Wisconsin farmers have been dealing with tar spot in corn this year.

The potato harvest in Wisconsin is a little behind, with 50% of the crop harvested.