Farmers wrapping up 2024 harvest

With the harvest season approaching its conclusion, area farmers are getting a good sense of how successful this year's crops have been.

From one end of Eddy County to the other, local producers are seeing varying yields this harvest, due in large part to the heavy rainfall totals seen this spring and summer.

Jamie Allmaras, who farms in Munster Township and along the border between Eddy and Wells County, said his yields are somewhat down this year.

He's already harvested his crop of pinto beans and soybeans, and was just about to begin harvesting his corn on Monday, Oct. 14.

"Between the heavy rainfall and late planting conditions, it's off quite a bit," said Allmaras about this year's yields. "It's been wet all year for us, way too wet."

Allmaras explained that the soil in western Eddy County holds water fairly well, making it ideal for average or even below average rainfall amounts.

However, in a year of heavy rainfall, as was experienced throughout most of Eddy County in 2024, the soil can keep the water from draining effectively and ultimately drown his crops.

"It drowns them out," said Allmaras. "With pinto beans especially it'll make them dwarfy little injured plants, and they never really recover from that. We got several heavy rains early on and it never really stopped, so they just kept getting injured."

Allmaras said their area got around 23 inches of rain this spring and summer, and he estimated their average rainfall is closer to nine inches.

Meanwhile, the story over in eastern Eddy County seems quite different.

Tim Becker, who farms about 23 miles east of New Rockford in Colvin Township, said he's currently having one of his more productive harvests.

This year he grew field peas, soybeans, pinto beans, wheat and corn, and with only his corn left to harvest as of Tuesday, Oct. 15, he said this year's yields are looking pretty good.

"Probably average to above average," said Becker about his yields so far. "Our wheat and peas weren't exceptional but they were good. ... Our soybeans have probably brought one of the highest averages we've seen ... and we're just starting our corn, and I think our corn is going to be really good."

As for rainfall, Becker said it was also above average out east, but that they didn't see quite as much rain as New Rockford and the farmers out west did.

Measurements taken about 3 miles away from his land say they've had 18.05 inches of rain since May 1, and he estimates his property got about an inch-and-a-half less rain than that.

Still, they certainly experienced above average rainfall, but as he explained the soil out east is more productive in wet conditions.

"We've got a lot of rain this summer, but there was a stretch in the middle where we didn't really get rain," said Becker. "[Out west] would have probably welcomed that, where we would have welcomed the rain they were getting.

"It's just differences in soil," he added. "They're a more clay-based, heavier, more productive soil, and we're more sandy over here."

Meanwhile, statewide numbers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture also suggest a fairly positive harvest overall, with most crop progress and conditions in 2024 being better on average than the previous four years.

But even for those whose numbers might be down, there's always something to be thankful for during harvest – as is the case every year.

This year, it's relatively good fall weather and a late frost.

Despite some of his yields being down, Allmaras said good weather has allowed the harvest itself to go smoothly.

"People with wheat or the earlier harvested crops dealt with some bad weather, but since we started on the beans we've had really good weather and have been able to run fairly constant every day," said Allmaras.

"We were really really lucky to get a late frost or our corn wouldn't have made it, and maybe even some of our beans," he added. "We really haven't had a killing frost yet."

The first hard frost of the year hit Eddy County later that night last Monday, but with most plants having been harvested and corn fully developed, the damage was expected to be minimal.

But as the October nights grow colder and colder, farmers across the county are giving it their all in the final stretch, as they race mother nature to get their crops harvested on time.