It’s been a good year on Dan Martin’s farm; the corn and soybeans are looking nice. Rain in the past week was a godsend to finish out the crop year, he said. The last couple of weeks had been a little dry.

"The beans are looking really good," Martin said. "I don’t think I’ve ever raised beans quite as tall as these. They got off to a good start and have had plenty of moisture and cooler temperatures – they seem to be really thriving. It will be interesting to see how they do at harvest time."

Planting got started the first part of May, but then there were a couple of weeks of rain, so he finished up in the latter part of May, he said. "It was hit-and-skip trying to find a dry field here and there," Martin said. "We got everything in by the third week in May."

The third cutting of alfalfa was a little short because there was no measurable rain during July and early August, he said. Yet overall, the hay crop was decent.

That rain situation held pretty much throughout the state, according to the NASS report for Aug. 13, which said rain during the week and significantly cooler-than-normal temperatures helped alleviate some moisture stress issues.

Average temperatures around the state ranged from 64-72 degrees, or 9 degrees below to 1 degree above normal. There was a statewide average of 1.4 inches of rain. Some areas still need more, but the added moisture was a positive for crop progression.

Oat harvesting continued during the week, although growers are behind compared to last year and the five-year average, due in part, to the rain limiting fieldwork.

Corn condition was 75 percent good to excellent, compared to 82 percent at this time last year. Soybean condition was 72 percent good to excellent, compared to 75 percent last year.

Growers continue to harvest hay and are spraying for weeds.