After a dry summer and a wet start to the harvest, you might finally find farmers relaxing with months of hard work now in the rearview mirror. Farmers across the state had nearly seven suitable work days last week for field work thanks to warm and windy conditions in Wisconsin. As a result, the corn for grain harvest is 78 percent complete, two days ahead of last year’s pace and a day ahead of the five-year average. According to the USDA’s Crop Progress and Condition Report, the soybean harvest is almost 94 percent complete. Rio Creek Feed Mill agronomist Adam Barta says despite the rough patches during the growing and harvest seasons, farmers have a lot of optimism heading into winter.

The warmer, brighter days have also helped crops like winter wheat flourish before snow and frost rears its head. Ninety-four percent of the winter wheat crop has emerged, with its condition rated as 65 percent good to excellent.