This picture was taken earlier this week from Marlette, Michigan. The 2010 soybean harvest is already underway across the nation this week. Since the corn crop has also matured quickly, some areas of the Corn Belt have started to harvest their corn already.

Soybeans require sunlight to mature, and will naturally start dropping leaves as the days become shorter. Farmers will harvest their soybeans when they reach a favorable moisture level of around 12%. Ideally, farmers want to harvest crops with moisture levels low enough that they don’t require too much drying, but high enough that the local grain elevator will not penalize them.

Remember, we are always looking for more agricultural pictures from anywhere in the world. Submit pictures to farmlandforecast@colvin-co.com.