With harvest beginning in the Hawkeye State, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is reminding people to be safe, “I do want to encourage everyone working on the farm and traveling through rural Iowa this fall to keep safety in mind during this very busy season.”

Farmers are starting to harvest corn and soybeans, they’re planting cover crops, spreading manure, hauling grain, and cutting hay. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in southeast Iowa, 45% of corn is mature, behind the five-year average of 63%. Also, locally 40% of soybeans are dropping leaves and four percent of soybeans have been harvested. Overall Iowa’s corn is rated at 10% poor, 28% fair, 50% good, and nine percent excellent while soybeans are 10% poor, 27% fair, 51% good, and nine percent excellent.