It’s common to see farmers in the fields this time of year harvesting crops, but here’s a few things that maybe aren’t common knowledge:
- “Indiana’s harvested 29% of corn and 36% of soybeans as of October 7th”, according to Hoosier Ag Today. The typical harvest is between August and October.
- Fun Fact, World Record: In Canada, most combine harvesters' direct harvesting in a single field is 303. Most corn harvested by a single harvester goes to a group of USA farmers of 19,196 bushels using a single combine in 8 hours (it was a Caterpillar)
- Fun fact that has nothing to do with this: Guinness World record for most people simultaneously whistling at a single venue is 863. (Bonus points: comment below: What if Marshall County tried to get in the record books…what would you like to see us try?)
- In 2021, Indiana had a record yield of 195 bushels per acre, according to Purdue University.
- Marshall County is the 11th largest in Indiana for working farms at approximately 900 farms with an average of 199 acres per farm, with 96% being family farmers and only two farms are organically farmed (Marshall County population approximately 46,332 in 2022, 443 square miles in Marshall County)
- The USDA 2017 census states: that Marshall County had 829 farms, of which 136 were less than 9 acres, 260 at 10-49 acres, 221 at 50-179 acres, 108 with 180 to 500 acres, and 53 farms in Marshall County with over 1000 acres of land
- The average age of a farmer falls between 35 and 64 years old in Indiana
- 61% of Indiana farmers have a primary job in addition to farming, and 37K said they’re primary income is from farming
- Over 6000 farms in Indiana have received the honor of being a family-owned farm for over 100 years in the “Hoosier Homestead” program
- Fun Fact: Indiana farmers harvested 60K Christmas trees in 2022
Nationally Indiana ranks in the top five for several crops, including: According to the Indiana State Dept. of Agriculture (ISDA)
- 2nd in the country for spearmint.
- 4th in the country for peppermint.
- 4th in the country for soybeans.
- 5th in the country for corn.
- 5th in the country for watermelon.
- 5th in the country for pumpkins.
ISDA asks you to make it a safe harvest season for you and our farmers. “With the cooler weather and fall colors, Hoosier motorists will also find more large, slow-moving farm equipment on Indiana’s rural roads and highways. ISDA aims to encourage careful driving and inform motorists on the correct steps to safely navigate around large farm equipment on the roads this fall.
Farm equipment during harvest season could include tractors, combines, grain carts, grain wagons, and large trucks hauling agricultural products. These vehicles are wide, sometimes taking up most of the road, and often travel at speeds no greater than 25 mph”.
Article & photos by Robin Myers
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