'It's all up to Mother Nature' | Corn farmers dealing with lower yields, wet produce this harvest

BLANCHESTER, Ohio — Corn farmers are making steady progress with their harvest despite facing a 40-bushel-per-acre decrease in yields this year, according to farmers I spoke with near Blanchester.

Roger Winemiller, a corn farmer, told me yields are down, but his harvest is ahead of schedule despite earlier concerns about a late harvest season.

"We are further ahead of schedule than what I thought we would be. I thought it would be a late harvest. All in all, we're moving along pretty well," Roger said.

But even with that, and drought conditions over the summer and fall, they're still dealing with damp produce.

After harvesting, corn requires drying before it can be sold at market if it's too wet. Todd Winemiller explained the conditions required for marketable corn.

"To be able to tak