There's Good in Every Grain
#YourFarmers have been working hard this fall to finish up harvest, but many acres of soybeans and corn are still left standing. Combining wet grains off of wet fields can cause a lot of issues so many farmers will wait until the grains are dryer before combining. This was challenging this fall as we saw many inches of rain with little rain free days to let the grounds and plants dry out. Then, winter came early and left a whooping 10 cm of snow in some already wet fields!
Summer 2018 was hot and dry across much of Ontario with many areas reporting below average rainfalls in the spring and summer. That being said, the crops fared well over the summer with many of #YourFarmers hoping for high yields this fall.
Then the rains we missed this summer came.
How are the crops doing this summer after record breaking heat waves , and some overdue rain storms? Read more to learn where the grains are in their life cycles as of Mid July and how soon we’ll be seeing combines rolling in the fields!
With wheat harvest on the minds of many of #YourFarmers these days, we were curious, what gets made from Ontario wheat? We’ve already spoken about the different types of wheat that can be grown, but what varieties of wheat are grown in Ontario? Where are they grown and what is made from these wheat varieties?
Fall is an incredibly busy time for farmers. Many will harvest hundreds of acres of soybeans and corn in the fall months. As of today, soybean harvest is well on its way in parts of southern and southwestern Ontario, while the corn is busy soaking in the last of the summer heat. Earlier this month, farmers were busy preparing for harvest: washing and maintaining their combines and tractors and anxiously watching their crops. Like trees and shrubs do in the fall, soybeans and corn both undergo a dramatic physical transformation at this time of year.
Soybean plants change colour in the fall months: their leaves turn from green to yellow before they eventually fall off once the plant reaches full maturity. Full maturity is the last growth stage in soybeans development – the soybean pods have fully developed seeds, and the plant is beginning to dry down. Corn is similar: the kernels will harden, and the rest of the plant will dry out once it is fully grown (usually in mid-October). Corn also turns brown and yellow.
Soybeans and corn need to be dry in order to be harvested. Once they have reached full maturity, the plants begin to dry down and no longer accept nutrients in preparation for winter. Like all other plants (grass, trees, flowers), soybeans and corn begin to prepare themselves for winter once the temperature begins to drop. Farmers want their grains to be dry for harvest, as that means the seeds are fully grown with all the necessary nutrients inside. This is why we wait for grains to turn yellow or brown before we harvest them.
