A dry fall allowed farmers to harvest at an accelerated pace while saving a few dollars on drying grain.

Across the state, farmers harvested 89% of soybeans and 78% of corn as of Oct. 31, both slightly ahead of the average pace. But the lack of rain is causing challenges in other areas. “That acute dryness in parts of southern Illinois up the Ohio Valley added stress on the low flow of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers,” said Trent Ford, state climatologist. READ MORE