Generally speaking across Ontario, there is a broad mix of what’s planted, what’s harvested and the various stages in between, according to the Grain Farmers of Ontario. The province is a big place and weather and planting conditions have differed vastly this year from one end of Ontario to the other this year.
Northeast of Toronto, farmers are reporting corn is drying out very quickly and so far the frost has been holding off. Soybeans are drying out now and harvest is near. They are predicting an average crop yield this year.
North of Toronto farmers are reporting winter wheat planting is underway with 5% already planted. Corn is not ready to combine yet but soybeans planted in mid-May are being combined and the yields are up to 50 bushels per acre, which is above average.
On land surrounding London, some fall fertilizer has been applied already to the recently planted winter wheat. Late planted corn is a week or more from the tell-tale black layer that indicates readiness for harvest.
Silage corn harvest, where the entire corn plant is harvested for animal feed is well underway and it is looking like a good crop. About 2 to 5% of soybeans have been harvested and the rest of the soybeans are on the verge of being ready as well.
In the areas surrounding Hamilton and in the Niagara region, farmers are reporting corn is in variable stages depending on the area. Some corn is still in the flowering stage, some areas are reporting that corn is starting to dry out and some corn is near the black layer stage less than a week from harvest.
Soybeans are also varied in that area, with some farmers reporting their crops at the flowering stage and some farmers reporting that 75% of leaves have dropped and are waiting for the plants to dry out. While farmers have reported that about 1% of the soybeans have been harvested, most beans in the area are about a week from being ready.
Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) is the province’s newest and largest commodity organization, representing Ontario’s 28,000 corn, soybean and wheat farmers.
