he overnight freeze hit before their major crops were fully mature -- in fact, the latest agricultural report says only about 10 percent of the state's corn and soybean crops were ready.

Most of Minnesota's corn and soybean crops continue to thrive, despite last week's torrential rain and destructive weather. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports 83 percent of Minnesota corn is rated in good or excellent condition. As for soybeans, 74 percent of the acres are in good or excellent shape.

According to the USDA's first official assessment of the season, nearly 100 percent of the state's record 8.7 million acres of corn is now planted. As of Sunday, 81 percent of the soybean acres were also planted.

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.

Officials say this year's corn and soybean yields remain unchanged, despite the frost. But grains may be another story -- the full damage of the frost may not be known until after the fall harvest is complete.

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'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.

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.