Corn harvest nears in northeast Kansas

PERRY ( KSNT ) – Harvest season for corn farmers in northeast Kansas is right around the corner.

Emma Jenks is an agronomist and a fifth-generation farmer. She grows corn, winter squash and soybeans all on her 225 acres of land.

Right now, her main focus is preparing all her crops for this season’s harvest.

“Harvest takes a full crew,” Jenks said. “We have two combines and six semis, so we stay very busy.”

Corn harvest season starts in late August and goes into early October. To prepare for a successful harvest, many steps during the growing season have to be taken.

“We are currently mid-season, so as you saw, we are spraying on fungicide to help protect against diseases,” Jenks said. “And then we will run the pivot to irrigate if needed. The next thing we do to prepare for harvest is make sure our equipment is all ready to go.”

Jenks said that no matter how well she and her crew prepare for harvest, she’s always keeping an eye out for Mother Nature for any setbacks.

“We did get a windstorm come through, so some of this corn has been snapped off so that will set yield back a little bit,” she said. “But, there’s areas that got a lot worse than here so we are very fortunate.”

While this time of year can be stressful, Jenks said the final outcome always makes it worthwhile.

“Harvest can be long hours, but it’s also rewarding to see the fruits of your labor come to life and see how the year turned out,” she said. “After harvest, it’s kind of fun just to relax and unwind.”

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