Harvest In Northern Illinois Near Record Pace.

Remember last year when rains had local farmers harvesting into January? Here's why this year, things are going a whole lot better.

Take a drive in the country down any farm field and you'll see Combines working hard in the fields. I can tell by all the dust in the air recently too. The hard work by Stateline area farmers is paying off.

Why are things going so well? Farmer Bob Phelps, a Rockton farmer told WTVO / WQRF "Things have been moving quite well. The weather's been very cooperative, both corn and soybeans have dried down to a point where they're very easy to harvest right now, and things seem to be moving along much better than they were last year when we had some weather delays throughout the harvest season,"

The USDA reports that 71 percent of corn and soybeans have already been harvested in Illinois this year.  That's well ahead of the state average of 59%. By this time last year, the USDA says less than 40% of the corn and soybean crops had been harvested. That report makes farmers happy.

Here's a salute and a thank you to all farmers in the Stateline. Thanks for not letting the world go hungry.