'A unique opportunity': Young farmer wrapping up what could be a record Ohio corn harvest

The sun was golden across the field as Zoe Kent gleaned through her farm's 2023 corn harvest.

"This is one of our prettier fields," she said. "I watched a bald eagle in the field all day yesterday, and then there was a buck with a huge rack earlier today."

The year was challenging from the onset, but most farmers throughout the Buckeye State are learning their efforts have mostly paid off.

"Yields have been a little bit all over the place," Kent said. "Our first two fields were well above average, and now we're into some pretty average fields."

'Ohio is expected to have a new record corn yield'

Corn harvest started a little later than normal but has been worth the wait, according to Marlene Eick, director of marketing and communications for Ohio Corn & Wheat.

"According to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio is expected to have a new record corn yield at 195 bushels per acre," Eick said. "Just 10 years ago, the Ohio corn yield was 174 bushels per acre."

As of Nov. 12, Ohio's corn harvest was 85% complete, according to a crop progress report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Buckeye State's soybean harvest was 95% finished.

Only 1% of the state's corn is eaten directly by humans, Eick explained.

"The corn that's grown in Ohio, one third of it is going to feed livestock, one third of it is going to be made into ethanol and one third of it is going to be exported," she said.

'Definitely a unique opportunity'

Farming has been a way of life for Kent since she was a little girl. It was in her family's blood decades before she was even born.

"I'm the 8th generation here on our farm," she said. "We came here and then never left."

Now, the 28-year-old runs the farm in Crawford County all by herself.

"It's definitely a unique opportunity," Kent said. "My dad is retired so I am the only person in our family actively working the farm."

She chronicles her farming adventures throughout the day online across several social media platforms. Her accounts are all @farmwithzoe.

Her posts include updates on equipment breakdowns, contemplations on whether to sell grain now or wait for prices to increase, and even glimpses of plans for future farm improvements.

"I want to teach people what farming is like," Kent said.

It's working, too. She has 175,000 followers on Facebook and 120,000 followers on Instagram.

'That means you had a good yield'

Harvest started on Kent's farm with beans at the end of September.

"Soybean harvest went well," she said. "We got it all done in a 10-day period."

Corn, though, proved to be a little more troublesome.

"The moisture level of the corn is just higher than other seasons and we've been getting more rain," Kent said.

By the first week of November last year, her family farm's harvest was finished. The same week this year, harvest was only 65% done, and 70% of the corn crop was still standing.

"The weather has not cooperated at all this year, it seems like," Kent said.

The young farmer has learned how to juggle the variables of a successful harvest.

"The real story here is this year we just have some really high moisture corn," Kent said.

Her options are to hope for warm sunny days that will dry the corn in the field, but the chance of that in November are slim.

"We could have used some more hot dry days," Kent said.

Other options include running the corn through the grain dryer for selling it, or taking it right to the elevator with high moisture and getting docked on the price per bushel.

In the end, she think it's better to run the grain dryer and get full market price for her harvest.

"The propane company will be doing really good this season," Kent said. "They're going to be making some money."

Early price outlooks were that corn's market value would be a little lower than expected in November, which is why farmers who have the means are storing their grain now and planning to sell it later after markets rebound.

With the way this year's harvest is shaping up, it doesn't look like all of it will fit in storage.

"That means you had a good yield," Kent said. "You don't mind selling it for a little bit cheaper if it's a surplus."

ztuggle@gannett.com

419-564-3508

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Ohio corn harvest wraps up with near record yield in bushels per acre