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.

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.

Even though production was down, Minnesota's corn crop was worth a best-ever $7 billion. The estimate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture tops the previous record the year before. The state's soybean crop was down 13 percent from 2010.

Minnesota farmers are taking advantage of the dry weather and getting an early start on the fall harvest. Combines started rolling through corn and soybean fields last week, the Pioneer Press reports. Despite the lack of rain, Minnesota escaped the disastrous drought conditions seen in much of the nation's heartland.

However, soybean and wheat crops will drop as much as eight percent because corn is more profitable. Minnesota's corn crop was valued at $7 billion last year. Corn planting is also expected to increase about four percent nationwide.

In its weekly crop weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes the condition of the state's corn crop is still rated 77 percent fair to good. Soybeans were rated 81 percent in fair to good condition.