Photos by Ken Collins

Area farmers are taking advantage of all the sunshine available to harvest their corn crops. The end of Daylight Saving Time has skies darkening earlier and some farmers working in the fields well after sunset.

According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Ohio's corn harvest is at 53%, which is below average for this time of year. USDA NASS attributes a wet October to the slower corn harvest, but the drier weather is allowing farmers to catch up.

The average statewide corn yield sits at 200 bushels per acre, according to the USDA NASS Crop Production report released October 9.

While farmers also work to wrap up soybean harvest, Ohio is around 83% of the state’s total crop harvested, which is average for this time of year. Soybean yields are setting records, averaging about 62 bushels per acre statewide.

This is good for Hardin County, which is the seventh-largest soybean grower in the state.