By Fred Nichols
Chief Marketing Officer,
Huma^®, Inc.

Labor Day signals the end of summer and ushers in the frolics of fall: football, pumpkin spice, UGG boots (well, maybe not in Arizona), hoodies, weenie roasts, and of course, harvest. When do farmers start harvest?

For commodity crops, this is largely dependent upon the crop, the variety, geography, and the size of the farmer. And just like with planting, much strategy and detailed planning is involved. The driving factor for grain is moisture content. To store or sell grain, it must be dried to a set level. For corn, the kernels must contain no more than 15% moisture; soybeans are 13%, wheat is 13.5%. If the grain tests above these levels, you must either wait for Mother Nature to dry it down in the field or use artificial driers. [Read more…]