The early snowfall this year is another frustration for farmers who have faced down difficult weather all year.
Peoria received a record 3.9 inches of snow on October 31. That’s on top of 4 inches of rain earlier last week.
Patrick Kirchhoffer is the Peoria County Farm Bureau Director. He said farmers will need to be patient this year.
“Guys were harvesting 25 to 30 percent corn moisture, you know, a decade ago. And it was harvesting well into December and sometimes even into January. And it’s looking like it’s one of those years again," he said.
Kirchhoffer says 20 to 25 percent of soybeans and close to 50 percent of corn is still awaiting harvest in Peoria County.
He said the beans should dry out after a few days without precipitation, but many farmers will need to pay to dry their corn out.
“Every year is different in farming. And this is definitely one of them. And they’ll just have to do the best with the weather that’s given them," Kirchhoffer said.
