Elevators report little activity

Grain elevators in Central Illinois have seen little harvest activity so far.

Joe Thompson, general manager for Alliance Grain based in Gibson City, said they just had a couple of farmers “nose in” to cornfields so far. There were no yields reported, although moisture was averaging 25.5 percent as of late last week. Thompson didn’t anticipate activity picking up until the end of September.

As of last week, nothing was happening in the territory of Graymont Co-op, based in central Livingston County west of Pontiac. Graymont general manager Matt Jacobs predicted a few farmers could try harvesting any day.

Prairie Central Co-op, which covers McLean and Livingston counties, only had a few loads of corn hauled in last week at about 30 percent moisture, according to general manager Mark Heil.

Field work should pick up in Central Illinois this week and next. The current stretch of warm weather and sunshine is helping the corn dry down naturally out in the field versus farmers having to pay extra to have it dried at the elevator.