A Cut Above Expectations | Video

Cliff Naylor | 10/2/2012

Drought has devastated much of America`s corn fields, but in North Dakota, where it has also been dry this summer, farmers are beginning to cut a crop that`s a cut above expectations. The 2012 corn crop is coming off early, thanks to the mild winter and dry spring.

North Dakota farmers were able to plant in March and April instead of waiting until May, when fields are normally still wet from snow melt. Getting seed into the ground ahead of schedule allowed the corn crop to weather a hot, dry summer.

"I think our subsoil moisture has been so excessive that last few years that it`s carried us through. There is a lot of concern about next year going forward, we don`t really have a lot in reserve. We`re going to need some rain or snow to replenish our moisture supply," said James Aarsvold, who farms near Blanchard.

Aarsvold`s 69-year old mother Leanna is helping him harvest again this year and she can`t believe the readings on her yield monitor.

"This is a miracle that we`ve gotten 150 bushels an acre."

Leanna grew up on a farm and still loves harvesting.

"In the eighth grade they asked me what I wanted to be and I said I wanted to be a farmer, and they said, `You`ll have to marry a farmer` and that`s what I did and here I am."

The Aarsvold`s planted nearly 3,000 acres of corn, and despite receiving only an inch of rain since July 1, yields are excellent.

"We`ve done some that`s around 100 bushel but we also had some fields that are in the 150 to 160 range and I know that there are some that are better than that out there, it`s been pretty exciting," James said.

James is on the North Dakota Corn Growers Board and he says other producers across the state are also harvesting a better than expected crop.

"Sounds like across the state there`s going to be a pretty good crop. The western side is going to have a good crop, in northern parts of the state where they`re new to growing corn, it sounds like that is also looking pretty good."

Once all the corn is in the hopper, farmers will be begin hoping for an old fashioned North Dakota winter with lots of snow to replace the sub soil moisture that produced this year`s crop.

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