$17 million mountain of corn piles up in western Minn.

In the midst of the nation's worst drought in decades, farmers in Wheaton, Minn. struck gold. The area was blessed with one of its largest corn crops ever while dry conditions crippled harvests around the country, driving up corn prices.

Author:: BMTN Staff
Publish date:: Nov 3, 2012

In the midst of the nation's worst drought in decades, farmers in Wheaton, Minn. struck gold.

KARE 11 says the area was blessed with one of its largest corn crops ever while dry conditions crippled harvests around the country, driving up corn prices.

A massive pile of corn worth $17 million covers the infield of a racetrack at the Traverse County fairgrounds because there's no where else to put it, the storage elevator is out of room.

Philip Deal, general manager of the Wheaton-Dumont Co-op Elevater, tells WDAY the overflow is about a third of the company's corn, enough to fill 158,757,329 cans of corn.

Deal expects the record harvest will stay in the U.S. to meet the demand in areas hit hardest by drought, KARE 11 reports.

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State farmers will benefit in two ways: drought has helped to drive corn prices higher, and Minnesota farms are producing high yields compared to farms in other states, where dry conditions have shriveled crops, WCCO reports.

Minnesota farmers continue to make progress on planting corn and soybeans, thanks to warm, dry weather, the Associated Press reports. According to the USDA's weekly crop-weather report for Minnesota, corn planting jumped to 88 percent planted.

Minnesota's cornfields will average 168 bushels an acre this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Pioneer Press reports this would be Minnesota's largest corn crop in state history and make the state the second largest corn producer in the country -- only trailing Iowa.

Searing sun and drought are shriveling corn in some parts of the Midwest, the New York Times reports. But experts note that the driest, hottest conditions have mostly steered clear of some crucial Corn Belt states, including Minnesota, where the crop in most places appears healthy and strong — not to mention increasingly valuable.

It's only mid-September, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says 12 percent of Minnesota's corn crop is already harvested. The Pioneer Press notes that is roughly three weeks earlier than last year. The soybean harvest is also well ahead of the five-year average with 16 percent complete.

Corn — old and familiar to regional farmers, new and a bit exotic to others — is shining brightly this spring. Prices are strong, and ever-improving varieties allow the crop to be raised in formerly unsuitable areas, the Associated Press reports. (flickr photo from WayTru)

Last July, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train derailed and more than a dozen railcars carrying corn spilled into Locke Lake. Ten months later, neighbors tell KARE 11 the corn is causing foul odors and attracting more geese to the area. A railroad spokesperson says crews have already removed about 25 tons of corn, but aren't able to remove it all. A bike path that runs underneath the rail line also remains closed, but is supposed to reopen in July.