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Minnesota farmer up against clock to harvest corn

A central Minnesota farmer says he can’t wait much longer to begin harvesting corn.

Waverly crop and livestock producer Dan Glessing tells Brownfield he hand-shelled corn last week with moisture in the upper 30’s.

“I would guess we’re about a week out simply because we just have to get going. On the livestock side, we need those corn stalks to be able to bale them for bedding and get our manure out, plowed in and all that. Just kind of forcing our hand you might say.”

He tells Brownfield his corn might dry down another 10 points before the combine gets going.

“My guess would be 26 to 28 percent on the (corn) we would start on. It’s hard that drier look since mid-September. You could see it was starting to shut itself down and dry down.”

Glessing, the Minnesota Farm Bureau vice president, says his area has received about eight inches of rain so far this month.