Wet and cool weather is to blame for bringing field work to a near standstill in Mower County farms this month.

Gene Anderson, who farms about 340 acres of oats, hay, alfalfa, corn and soybeans near Sargeant, said he has only been able to work in the field three days this month.

“If it was a good October, I’d be out almost every day,” Anderson said.

“We are extremely behind,” Mower County Farm Bureau President Ron Frank said.

“The process is being slowed way down, and the drying costs are going to be a significant extra expense,” Frank said.

The United States Department of Agriculture publishes records of farmer harvest progress each week.

The latest report, released Oct. 19, listed Minnesota’s soybean harvest at 34 percent complete. This same week last year, 81 percent of the state’s soybeans were on their way to the market. This is about 50 percent behind the average of the last five years.

Frank guessed that 50 percent of soybeans have been harvested in Mower County, which is weeks behind schedule.

Only three percent of the state’s corn was harvested as of Oct. 19, compared to 17 percent last year, according to the USDA. This is about 30 percent below the average of the last five years.

The wet weather problem is two-fold.

A lack of dry days this month is keeping farmers from harvesting the fields, Frank said. Normal daytime weather in October is upper 50s to the low 60s in southern Minnesota.

September ended with crops gaining late season growing days before the first freeze.

Less than two days were suitable for field work the week of Oct. 12 through Oct. 18, the USDA report said.

“When they can get the equipment out, it tears up the fields because they are too wet,” he said.

The second problem is that the moisture content of the crops means many farmers will have to artificially dry them — adding an extra cost.

“I have to see what happens in the next 30 days, but drying could account for 10 percent of profits,” Anderson said.

Frank said drying is not only pricey, but it is not best for the crops.

“It’s worse for the soybeans because they do not take to it very well.” Frank said.

“This is not unheard of, but it is unusual,” Frank said of the standstill.

“The past few years we have had pretty decent falls,” he added.