The calendar might read November, but Wisconsin farmers worked against conditions that felt way more like January last week.

The difficult stretch of days brought tillage to a near standstill, then ended the effort. "Fall tillage was finished for the season due to frozen ground and winter conditions", the Nov. 24 "Wisconsin Crop Progress & Condition Report" concluded.

The report said producers worked long hours in difficult conditions to harvest corn and soybeans as quickly as possible as frigid wind chills and intermittent snow showers swept the state and temperatures ran well below average for the third full week of November.

Average temperatures reported for the week were 13-16 degrees below normal. Daytime highs made it only to the teens and 20s, while overnight lows fell well below zero in northern Wisconsin and into the single digits across the south.

The week with 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork ended with a warm front that ushered in weekend temperatures in the 40s and 50s and widespread rainfall.

"Its winter in Wisconsin — 20 below zero on Thursday morning with what looked like permanent snow cover to the snow mostly gone and 40s on Sunday to plummeting temps and snow back again," the Rusk County reporter commented in the document created with input from farm reporters and county ag agents across the state.

The precipitation washed some frost out of the ground and melted snow cover, but it drove up grain and soil moistures. As of Nov. 23, 95 percent of Wisconsin's soybeans had been harvested and 73 percent of corn for grain, with moistures at harvest averaging 21 percent.

In the northern districts, the harvest was a difficult trek as snow-covered fields with unfrozen ground beneath caused clogged combines and heavy rutting.

Across Ashland County, substantial snowfall halted most fieldwork, while extremely cold weather and several inches of snow delayed any harvesting in Price County. "Despite the cold, the fields are muddy and wet," that reporter noted.

It was too cold to melt any snow in Florence County until the weekend brought temperatures in the 40s. "A few acres of corn were chopped, but hauling down the road to the farm was difficult because of the icy roads," the reporter shared.

The slow pace of this fall's harvest will continue across Kewaunee County, with some of the corn not coming off the field until late winter or next spring. "The fall tillage may turn into spring tillage, which will really back up next year's growing season," the reporter said, adding the early onset of winter has also caused problems for those who need to empty their manure pits.

Statewide, the report said, dairies were racing to empty their pits for the winter, spreading manure wherever possible.

Across the center of Wisconsin, the soil was well frozen, allowing harvest activities to progress even in areas where fields have been extremely wet.

Waupaca County reported that the corn harvest progressed significantly, but there were still soybeans to be harvested. "Farmers are anxious to get crops out of the fields before more losses due to wind and snow damage," the reporter said.

In La Crosse County, growers were hustling to get their corn off and other fieldwork done when falling temperature and snow slammed on the brakes. "There is still some corn in the field and, unless the weather turns, it will be there in the spring," the reporter commented.

In Chippewa County, most corn growers stalled by the cold and snow will wait for the snow to fall off the corn plants before they resume combining, while St. Croix County reported that the snow had melted off its corn so combining had started again.

In the southern districts, variable frost depths meant some fields were too soft to support machinery. Crawford County reported about 25 percent of corn for grain still needs to be harvested. "With winter weather settling in, area farmers will need a hard freeze before completing the 2014 harvest season," the reporter noted.

Combines were still trying to work on corn in Vernon County, where test weights were reportedly running good.

Although frozen ground had stopped all fall tillage in Columbia County, only a light dusting of snow fell during the week, which slowed the corn harvest for a day. Moistures remain high as farmers harvest late planted corn fields, the reporter said, noting little or no field drying occurred due to extremely cold air temperatures.

Ozaukee County had an inch of snow on the ground, which has frozen to a depth of six inches, and corn still to be combined, while Rock County reported that the last corn acres being harvested are still higher in moisture than one would expect for this late in the season.

With grain moistures staying high, the report said, dryers were struggling to keep up with demand.

In the winter wheat fields, 91 percent of the crop had emerged. The condition of the crop was rated 66 percent good to excellent.

In Rusk County, the seesawing weather pattern meant winter wheat that had been covered with snow was now uncovered. "We're not sure what's going to happen with that," the reporter said.

Source - http://www.wisfarmer.com/