Wet Feet Make Tough Harvest
Traveling down through Ashtabula County and over into the edge of Geauga County last week, I noticed a few fields of corn still standing. Farmers…
Traveling down through Ashtabula County and over into the edge of Geauga County last week, I noticed a few fields of corn still standing. Farmers who own those fields have to be concerned because they know they need to be harvested, but the pesky weather has not cooperated.
Another observation was the number of fields that were cut up from combines harvesting the wet fields. There was nothing else they could do if they wanted to get their corn in the bin or to market
Harvesting from wet fields causes several problems. Getting through the soft ground and creating the ruts is hard on equipment. Motors work extra hard and wheels have problems when they make the deep ruts.
Trucks to haul the grain or tractors with grain carts can’t get beyond the edge of the fields, making extra work for the combines to come to them. Everything just seems to work harder in the soft, wet fields.
On some farms with late planted corn, the crop had not dried down, so it has to be dried in the bins, costing extra money. But, there aren’t many alternatives when the crop has to be harvested, wet or not.
Some farmers may be waiting for hard freezes so they can harvest on frozen ground. Again, in very cold weather, equipment can break more often and doesn’t seem to work as well.
Next spring, wet harvest in the fall causes more problems. Working through those ruts is once again hard on equipment. Fields have to be tilled even though many farms use minimum tillage. Here in northeastern Ohio, that seems to happen all too often.
One farm practice that is a big help is tiling the fields. Tile removes excess water, fields dry out quicker and can be farmed earlier in the spring. Harvest can also be easier in the fall. Good drainage is essential here in the area to make farming easier.
Another concern local farmers have is the new regulations being proposed by EPA that would affect drainage on their farms. They want to regulate every drop of water that falls, according to several farm organizations. This would even include water puddles, they claim.
Contractors, home owners or anyone else that do anything with soils could also be affected. Several farm organizations have asked the EPA to withdraw their proposed new rules. Many members of Congress also favor withdrawal or major changes in the proposed rules.
Over the years, more and more regulations are affecting farm practices. These regulations not only affect what farmers can do, but also require documentation of their practices, or paperwork in other words. Record keeping and paperwork takes time and costs money. Some records, such as financial, cost or milk production, are essential. But when more and more regulations requiring more paperwork get piled on top, farmers and others have reason to complain.
Given the need for more food to be produced in the country and around the world in the future, it needs to be made easier for farmers to farm, not more difficult.
Safe proven technology, such as the use of GMO seeds, is essential if there is going to be enough food. A noisy few, who pretend to be experts, keep trying to stop the use of this kind of safe technology.
Coming back to the weather and wet fields, let’s give thanks to area farmers for all the extras effort they put into harvesting their crops that eventually become food on the dinner tables. It’s hard, frustrating work.
Parker is an independent agricultural writer.
