Harvest USA Report

12/11/2025

- Dave Hermesch, located southeast of Tulsa, discusses the completion of his harvest, which finished before Thanksgiving, except for some cover crop planting interrupted by a mechanical issue. The conversation highlights the challenges and timelines of harvesting, contrasting his earlier finishes with those in colder regions like South Dakota facing snow delays.
- The host shares a personal anecdote from his university days in Alberta, Canada, where he was surprised to learn that spring harvesting is common in certain areas due to snow, portraying geographical variations in agricultural practices.
- Discussion touches on harvesting conditions in Alberta, where snow on roads can delay the process until spring. Surprisingly, yield loss due to rodents was not a reported issue despite these delays.
- The dialogue concludes with the host needing to leave to assist his wife with preparations for a family event, ending on a jovial note about maintaining household harmony, embodying the age-old advice of keeping the peace at home for personal happiness.

12/10/2025

Shorty Kulhanek, custom harvester from Colby, Kansas is working in Gettysburg, South Dakota and is experiencing challenges with the corn harvest due to late planting and wet conditions that have been exacerbated by an unseasonable snowfall. Despite some improvements due to warmer weather melting the snow, the moisture content of the corn remains high at 18-18.5%, which exceeds the limit for storage by local processing facilities. As a result, storage options are limited, and Shorty is working with two machines to harvest the remaining 1,100 acres for one farmer and an additional 400-500 acres for another.
Weather and Equipment: A chinook wind has recently helped clear snow from the region, although South Dakota's distance from the mountains reduces its impact. The unavailability of storage and dryers adds to the harvesting difficulties. Shorty uses 12-row headers on his machines. While his equipment, namely gleaner combines, has been performing well, he still faces a significant workload. Hale Broadcasting, the interviewer, extends good wishes and prayers for favorable weather and effective harvest processing conditions.

12/09/2025

12/08/2025

12/05/2025

12/04/2025

12/03/2025

Andrew Torsius from Torsius Tater Farms in Grassy Lake, Alberta, discusses the evolution in their potato processing methods, highlighting a shift from dry grading to washing. Initially, potatoes were taken directly from storage for shipment, with the factory handling washing. Over the past 15 years, the farm has adopted washing to reduce transportation costs and manage plant water quality issues in Calgary and Lethbridge by minimizing dirt and mud challenges.
- **Environmental and Operational Concerns**: The discussion touches on the environmental concerns regarding industrial waste affecting municipal sewage systems, specifically the problem of silt and mud from potato washing. To manage waste, Torsius implements a system using settling trenches and pits to clean and recycle water, maintaining efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
- **Logistics and Economics of Potato Processing**: The conversation covers the timeline and resources involved in processing, with around 1,000 tons requiring a week to ten days to wash, depending on factory orders. Comparing the costs and logistics of washing versus dry grading, it is noted that washing is slower and might necessitate specific conditions, but dry grading can be done faster. Staff requirements remain similar for both processes.
- **Miscellaneous Discussions**: Other topics include logistical details about equipment used in operations, with conversation briefly mentioning ropes and tarp handling for transportation. Additionally, there are remarks about the quality of red potatoes used for French fries.

11/28/2025

11/26/2025

11/26/2025

Kansas Corn thanks all four members of the Kansas House delegation who signed the bipartisan letter strongly supporting the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). Our neighboring countries are key buyers of our ag products including corn and ethanol. Representatives Estes, Davids, Mann, and Schmidt were among 113 house members who signed the USMCA support letter.

11/26/2025

11/26/2025