Mild, dry conditions helped Iowa farmers close in on the end of the fall harvest last week, even as much of the state experienced its first hard freeze of the season, according to the weekly weather summary released Monday by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Looking at the five-year average, Iowa typically has more than 90 percent of soybeans and three-quarters of corn harvested by the last week in October. The dry conditions have allowed farmers to push that pace, with farmers in some parts of the state wrapping up harvest and transitioning to other field work. Much of Iowa also experienced the first hard freeze of the season as overnight temperatures dropped. Though scattered rain is possible in parts of the state this week, any pause in field work is likely to be short-lived. Outlooks indicate warmer and drier conditions returning as we head into November.” For the fourth consecutive week, detailed crop progress data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture was unavailable due to the federal government shutdown. Statewide precipitation averaged just 0.01 inches for the week ending Oct. 26, compared to the normal of 0.63 inches. The state’s low temperature for the week was 21 degrees Fahrenheit in Benton County, while the high temp was 74 degrees in Page County.
