Harvest has begun here in the southeast.

Local producers have begun harvesting their early cereals. For Ed Peters at Henervic Farms in Randolph, he says they will start harvesting their spring wheat next week. He notes we had excellent growing conditions for early season crops.

"We’ve had perfect weather conditions for growing. No frost in spring, no heavy rains so especially the cereals, they have really just thrived," says Peters. "The wheat, which in our case is basically all north of the 52 highway and lots closer to the Landmark area, our wheat is very good, it’ll be above average. That’s what we’re saying now, obviously, when you drive in with a combine you can sometimes get some surprises but I don’t think so."

As for rainfall amounts, Peters notes it's been all over the map. He explains they have land from the Landmark area all the way south to Grunthal and St. Malo and east near La Broquerie. He explains crops north of the 52, near St. Malo and near La Broqueire are looking good but says fields in the Grunthal area and along Ridge Road have had significantly less rain and could use it.

 "In my yard, we’re at eight and a half inches so far for the year or just under whereas a bit further north, there would have been an extra inch and Mitchell would have had at least an inch less. Then we’ve got some land along Ridge Road or the 303 and there, some of our crops are struggling. There are some areas of the field where the corn will not set cob and soybeans are also struggling right now."

Peters notes for later crops now until mid-September is a critical time for growth. He adds an inch and a half of rain in the next week would go a long way.

"We’ll have corn that will have had adequate moisture that will be outstanding and we’ll have corn that suffered from drought that will be less than outstanding by quite a bit," says Peters which he notes has been the theme in the last couple years.