State NEW ENGLAND WEEKLY CROP WEATHER Week ending date 09/28/03 Issue NH-CW3903 Volume 23, Number 23 (issued weekly on the Internet, May - October) September 29, 2003 - 4 pm -- Agricultural Summary -- WARM, WET CONDITIONS PREVAIL For the week ending September 28, 2003, there were 5.1 days available for field work across New England. Topsoil moisture was rated 0% very short, 6% short, 67% adequate, 27% surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 1% very short, 15% short, 76% adequate, 8% surplus. Pasture condition was rated as 3% very poor, 11% poor, 37% fair, 42% good, 7% excellent. Warmer than average temperatures prevailed last week, along with heavy rain throughout much of New England. Wet conditions delayed harvest activities and field work; still no hard frost in the region. Major farm activities included: cutting haylage and making dry hay; harvesting potatoes, small grains, corn silage, apples, peaches, pears, cranberries and vegetables; finishing harvesting highbush blueberries; desiccating potato vines; spreading manure; applying lime; irrigating cranberry bogs; monitoring fields; performing general farm maintenance. SOIL MOISTURE ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ----------------------------------------------- Soil Rating This Week Last Week Last Year ----------------------------------------------- -- Percent -- Topsoil Moisture Very Short 0 1 6 Short 6 17 33 Adequate 67 76 57 Surplus 27 6 4 Subsoil Moisture Very Short 1 1 28 Short 15 19 32 Adequate 76 77 37 Surplus 8 3 3 ----------------------------------------------- -- Field Crops Report -- A couple of dry days last week allowed for making dry hay. Farmers continued to finish second crop hay harvest. The harvest of third crop hay last week was on schedule at 75 percent complete, and some farms took a fourth cutting. Silage corn yields have been reported as generally above average this year. Wet weather in southern New England slowed potato harvest progress. Maine potato harvest progress caught up with the average of 45 percent, as growers took advantage of the warm, dry days last week. Vine desiccation on late potato varieties continued to wind down. The end of Maine's small grain harvest is in sight, with no more than ten percent remaining to be harvested. Last week's rain provided the necessary damp conditions for taking down tobacco to be stripped and bundled. -- Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report -- FRUIT: Apples, peaches and pears were picked last week between showers. There were reports of increased drop due to heavy rains. Plum and fall raspberry harvest started to wind down, and growers finished harvesting highbush blueberries. Red cranberry harvest started in Massachusetts last week and the berries were rated in good condition, with very few frost nights so far. VEGETABLES: Brussel sprouts, cabbage, eggplant, kale, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and other vegetables were harvested last week. Farmers continued to wrap up sweet corn harvest, on schedule with last year and the five-year average. Growers also cleaned up harvested vegetable fields. Business at roadside stands was variable based on local weather conditions. -- Crop Progress Tables -- FIELD CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND ------------------------------------------------------- -- % Harvested -- Crop 2003 2002 5-yr Avg Condition ------------------------------------------------------- Barley, ME 95 95 95 Good/Fair Oats, ME 90 95 90 Good/Fair Potatoes Maine 45 35 45 Good Mass 55 65 70 Good/Fair Rhode Isl 90 85 80 Good/Excellent Silage Corn 45 50 55 Good/Fair Sweet Corn 95 95 95 Good Dry Hay Second Cut 95 99 95 Good/Fair Third Cut 75 80 75 Good/Excellent --------------------------------------------------------- FRUIT CROP DEVELOPMENT ACROSS NEW ENGLAND -------------------------------------------------------- -- % Harvested -- Crop 2003 2002 5-yr Avg Condition -------------------------------------------------------- Apples 60 55 60 Good/Fair Peaches 95 99 99 Good/Fair Pears 45 50 60 Good/Fair Blueberries Highbush 100 100 100 Good/Fair Cranberries,MA 10 15 15 Good -------------------------------------------------------- -- Weather Summary -- For the week ending Sunday, September 28, 2003 -------------------------------------------- AIR TEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION STATE LO HI AVG DFN LO HI ---- --- --- --- --- ---- ---- ME 37 76 59 +7 0.13 2.14 NH 32 80 57 +4 1.11 3.04 VT 36 79 58 +5 0.88 5.57 MA 41 81 63 +5 0.08 3.19 RI 48 80 66 +7 0.01 0.81 CT 44 81 64 +5 0.09 3.64 -------------------------------------------- Copyright 2003: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. -- Weather Information Table -- Weather Summary For New England Agricultural Statistics Service Prepared By AWIS, Inc. For the Period: Monday September 22, 2003 To: Sunday September 28, 2003 AIR CUM SINCE MAR 1 TEMPERATURE GROWING DEGREE DAYS ----------- BASE-50F BASE-60F STATION LO HI AVG DFN TOT DFN TOT DFN ------- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- ---- MAINE Albion 47 71 59 +3 1896 -199 702 -87 Allagash 37 75 57 +7 1350 +19 406 +83 Augusta_State_A 50 71 61 +6 2185 +162 901 +155 Bangor_Intl_Arp 47 76 62 +8 2158 +314 886 +264 Barnard 42 72 58 +7 1764 +193 609 +157 Bath 48 75 62 +6 1931 +31 720 +60 Bethel 43 70 58 +4 1891 +75 680 +84 Brassua_Dam 40 69 57 +7 1541 +241 512 +202 Brunswick_ME 49 76 62 +7 2096 +196 842 +182 Caribou_Municip 42 71 59 +9 1734 +302 619 +241 Corinna 43 73 60 +7 1958 +229 735 +195 Danforth 44 72 59 +8 1799 +127 669 +144 Dover-Foxcroft 39 71 57 +5 1588 +17 506 +54 Durham 45 74 60 +3 1897 -262 743 -98 East_Hiram 45 71 58 +5 1825 +17 653 +63 Eustis 38 70 54 +4 1436 +175 459 +176 Frenchville 42 69 58 +9 1589 +258 526 +203 Gray 48 74 61 +5 2209 +335 921 +284 Greenville_ME 45 67 57 +6 1706 +122 582 +119 Guilford 37 74 56 +5 1495 -76 485 +33 Hollis 43 72 58 +5 1934 +207 722 +190 Houlton 43 73 60 +10 1806 +310 666 +242 Kennebunkport 50 74 60 +2 1903 -399 652 -284 Livermore_Falls 42 75 59 +8 1953 +413 766 +337 Moosehead 40 72 56 +6 1477 +177 470 +160 New_Sharon 44 73 59 +8 1979 +439 767 +338 Patten 44 71 59 +9 1713 +217 587 +163 Portage 46 72 59 +10 1783 +351 640 +262 Portland_ME 51 74 62 +7 2140 +266 859 +222 Rangeley 42 69 56 +6 1494 +266 467 +203 Sebec_Lake 42 73 59 +7 1754 +170 609 +146 Vanceboro 44 73 60 +8 1767 +156 620 +142 Waterville 49 74 61 +5 2052 -43 796 +7 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 41 69 56 +2 2110 +86 852 +113 Benton 40 70 56 +3 1819 +160 643 +167 Berlin_AG 43 73 57 +5 1877 +213 679 +182 Bethlehem 35 76 54 +2 1702 +46 582 +106 Concord 44 77 62 +7 2430 +406 1086 +347 Diamond_Pond 37 68 53 +4 1313 +208 388 +183 First_Conn_Lake 39 72 54 +6 1365 +260 409 +204 Greenville 38 80 56 +1 1813 -19 671 +86 Keene_AP 45 73 61 +4 2334 +60 981 +69 Lakeport 50 75 61 +7 2367 +484 1028 +383 Marlow 40 70 57 +0 1702 -356 597 -150 Mount_Washingto 32 58 44 +7 246 +185 6 +6 North_Conway 44 72 59 +5 2117 +249 849 +216 Otter_Brook_Lk 44 73 59 +2 2136 -138 833 -79 Plymouth 42 71 57 +5 1849 +213 655 +178 Rochester 43 76 60 +3 2153 -28 872 +23 Weare 47 72 60 +4 2117 +59 815 +68 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 42 73 57 +3 1889 +123 677 +126 Bethel 41 73 57 +4 2127 +450 832 +328 Burlington_Intl 43 79 62 +8 2583 +431 1169 +328 East_Haven 36 72 55 +5 1748 +374 603 +266 Island_Pond 40 74 56 +5 1748 +383 608 +283 Montpelier 42 70 58 +5 1918 +230 697 +185 Morrisville_AG 38 73 56 +4 2024 +341 793 +277 Mount_Mansfield 37 58 49 +3 944 +232 199 +133 Northfield 40 70 56 +5 1900 +367 690 +268 Pownal 44 73 58 +5 2019 +247 707 +155 Rochester 42 72 58 +4 1958 +281 702 +198 Rutland_AG 43 74 58 +2 2086 -160 801 -89 Sunderland 42 76 58 +2 1880 -271 629 -184 Sutton 39 71 56 +6 1747 +373 587 +250 Townshend_Lake 46 77 60 +4 2146 +16 833 +13 Union_Vill_Dam 42 79 58 +3 2099 -47 834 +7 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 48 73 59 +5 2253 +420 920 +322 Boston/Logan_In 58 77 66 +5 2768 +111 1354 +149 Greenfield 48 76 61 +2 2458 +4 1052 +14 New_Bedford 51 77 65 +3 2509 -188 1145 -95 Otis_AFB 54 77 66 +7 2506 +324 1173 +318 Plymouth 48 80 64 +6 2410 +177 1067 +173 Walpole 49 80 64 +8 2550 +315 1167 +282 West_Medway 47 78 64 +8 2565 +330 1169 +284 Chicopee/Westov 45 77 63 +2 2565 -256 1143 -182 Worcester 51 74 63 +6 2380 +293 1011 +236 Worthington 41 73 57 +3 1941 +127 678 +103 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 53 78 67 +7 2770 +238 1342 +228 Woonsocket 48 80 65 +8 2516 +315 1137 +294 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 44 74 59 -2 2089 -609 769 -464 Bridgeport/Siko 52 79 69 +7 2870 +129 1432 +138 Hartford/Bradle 49 80 65 +5 2835 +144 1350 +122 Norfolk 45 70 59 +5 2041 +232 742 +169 Norwich 50 81 66 +6 2714 +186 1292 +200 Thomaston_Dam 46 79 61 +4 2525 +336 1096 +263 Willimantic 48 77 65 +7 2634 +399 1216 +350 1-WEEK PRECIP 4-WEEK CUM PRECIP ------------- ----------------- TOTAL TOTAL STATION INCHES DFN DAYS INCHES DFN DAYS ------- ----- ---- --- ----- ---- --- MAINE Albion 1.22 +0.45 4 4.99 +1.96 9 Allagash 0.39 -0.43 2 1.05 -2.41 5 Augusta_State_A 1.38 +0.61 5 4.66 +1.76 11 Bangor_Intl_Arp 1.20 +0.43 4 3.14 -0.06 9 Barnard 2.03 +1.12 4 4.58 +0.94 10 Bath 1.39 +0.69 3 5.93 +3.13 8 Bethel 1.92 +1.15 3 5.69 +2.55 9 Brassua_Dam 0.74 -0.10 2 2.00 -1.40 6 Brunswick_ME 1.27 +0.57 3 3.87 +1.07 9 Caribou_Municip 0.62 -0.15 5 1.09 -2.16 11 Corinna 1.21 +0.37 4 4.82 +1.39 9 Danforth 0.98 +0.19 4 2.15 -1.23 9 Dover-Foxcroft 0.79 -0.12 5 2.09 -1.55 10 Durham 1.00 +0.29 3 3.31 +0.50 8 East_Hiram 1.89 +1.15 4 5.02 +2.10 11 Eustis 1.16 +0.46 2 3.15 +0.26 6 Frenchville 0.38 -0.44 3 0.92 -2.54 7 Gray 1.66 +0.89 4 5.39 +2.52 10 Greenville_ME 0.79 -0.12 4 1.17 -2.47 7 Guilford 1.09 +0.18 5 3.72 +0.08 10 Hollis 1.31 +0.54 4 4.78 +1.75 10 Houlton 0.79 +0.01 4 1.31 -2.08 9 Kennebunkport 2.14 +1.37 6 5.29 +2.41 18 Livermore_Falls 1.55 +0.76 4 4.49 +1.13 10 Moosehead 0.57 -0.27 2 1.89 -1.51 7 New_Sharon 1.15 +0.36 4 3.85 +0.49 9 Patten 1.11 +0.33 5 2.10 -1.29 12 Portage 0.54 -0.23 3 1.32 -1.93 7 Portland_ME 1.20 +0.43 3 4.55 +1.68 8 Rangeley 1.31 +0.62 3 3.98 +1.05 10 Sebec_Lake 0.86 -0.05 3 2.90 -0.74 7 Vanceboro 0.96 +0.06 4 2.31 -1.31 9 Waterville 1.22 +0.45 4 3.92 +0.89 8 NEW_HAMPSHIRE Barnstead 2.30 +1.67 5 4.48 +1.86 15 Benton 1.67 +0.97 2 4.57 +1.59 7 Berlin_AG 1.42 +0.72 3 4.68 +1.60 7 Bethlehem 1.43 +0.73 2 3.73 +0.71 8 Concord 1.97 +1.34 4 4.50 +1.88 15 Diamond_Pond 1.48 +0.62 4 3.76 -0.02 13 First_Conn_Lake 1.30 +0.44 2 2.50 -1.28 7 Greenville 2.29 +1.59 4 4.77 +1.84 12 Keene_AP 1.92 +1.28 3 4.21 +1.40 12 Lakeport 1.81 +1.12 3 4.18 +1.42 10 Marlow 1.56 +0.79 3 4.32 +1.19 12 Mount_Washingto 3.04 +1.43 4 8.87 +1.93 12 North_Conway 1.94 +1.15 4 4.56 +1.36 10 Otter_Brook_Lk 2.60 +1.96 5 5.98 +3.17 16 Plymouth 1.61 +0.91 4 4.03 +1.13 11 Rochester 2.02 +1.25 4 6.40 +3.41 10 Weare 1.97 +1.20 5 5.30 +2.17 15 VERMONT Ball_Mt_Lake 1.83 +0.99 5 4.79 +1.24 16 Bethel 2.48 +1.64 4 5.35 +1.79 11 Burlington_Intl 0.95 +0.25 4 1.26 -1.84 10 East_Haven 1.82 +1.09 3 3.52 +0.29 11 Island_Pond 1.42 +0.72 4 2.45 -0.73 11 Montpelier 1.54 +0.91 5 2.64 -0.06 10 Morrisville_AG 0.88 +0.11 4 1.37 -1.97 9 Mount_Mansfield 5.57 +4.26 6 6.67 +0.86 11 Northfield 1.42 +0.72 3 2.50 -0.50 9 Pownal 2.23 +1.39 4 4.89 +1.34 14 Rochester 2.71 +1.87 4 5.21 +1.65 10 Rutland_AG 1.35 +0.58 4 3.49 +0.13 12 Sunderland 1.97 +1.22 4 4.59 +1.31 12 Sutton 1.99 +1.26 4 3.73 +0.50 12 Townshend_Lake 1.97 +1.27 5 4.94 +1.86 14 Union_Vill_Dam 1.75 +0.98 5 4.68 +1.60 14 MASSACHUSETTS Ashburnham 2.20 +1.54 5 5.21 +2.49 14 Boston/Logan_In 1.05 +0.35 1 2.60 -0.26 8 Greenfield 2.50 +1.73 5 6.64 +3.44 15 New_Bedford 0.72 -0.02 2 3.85 +0.66 11 Otis_AFB 0.15 -0.68 1 2.93 -0.21 8 Plymouth 0.24 -0.67 3 3.13 -0.71 12 Walpole 0.61 -0.23 1 3.65 +0.18 8 West_Medway 1.26 +0.42 1 4.55 +1.08 8 Chicopee/Westov 3.19 +2.41 5 8.12 +4.82 14 Worcester 1.67 +0.69 3 3.99 +0.26 13 Worthington 1.84 +1.00 5 6.55 +3.12 14 RHODE_ISLAND Providence 0.07 -0.70 1 3.23 -0.03 9 Woonsocket 0.81 -0.03 1 5.47 +1.92 10 CONNECTICUT Bakersville 3.01 +2.17 4 9.35 +5.80 14 Bridgeport/Siko 0.85 +0.15 2 3.26 +0.39 10 Hartford/Bradle 1.84 +1.00 5 7.00 +3.45 16 Norfolk 3.51 +2.60 4 9.02 +5.15 14 Norwich 0.79 -0.10 1 5.93 +2.31 9 Thomaston_Dam 2.59 +1.68 4 7.07 +3.31 15 Willimantic 1.16 +0.25 3 5.24 +1.58 12 Summary based on NWS data. DFN = Departure From Normal (Using 1961-90 Normals Period). Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precip of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2003: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. For detailed ag weather forecasts and data visit the AWIS home page at www.awis.com or call toll free at 1-888-798-9955. -- Other Agricultural Comments and News -- CONNECTICUT - Howard Rood (FSA), Fairfield/Litchfield: Field corn which is now being harvested shows very poor ear development. Ross Eddy (FSA), Hartford/Tolland: Some dry hay made on Monday. Generally 2" rain on Tuesday which really slowed down corn for silage harvest for the balance of the week. Those with sweet corn, peppers and cabbage found markets surprisingly strong. Sunday rains from between 1-4" resulted in isolated flooding in areas west of Hartford. Standing water in fields will reduce chance of harvest and will further deteriorate winter squash and pumpkins yet to be harvested. Dawn Pindell (FSA), Windham: Heavy rain on Tuesday stopped field work with flash flooding in areas, good conditions the rest of the week kept corn harvest going. Some hay getting in. Good activity in orchards with pick-your-own. Brisk fruit and vegetable sales from customers who scoot in to buy fresh on their way home from work. Nancy Welsh/Karen Vozarik (FSA), New Haven: Some producers in Western part of county just started harvesting eggplant, summer squash and tomatoes. Marketing crops are a problem. Crops are late and consumers don't want it now, they wanted it when it was supposed to be ready. Mums and pumpkins not selling. Cool weather coming, hopefully it will change the consumers' mind set. MAINE - Marvin Hedstrom, Northern Aroostook: Potato harvest continues. With the good weather growers can be in the fields every day and thereby making good progress getting the crop out of the ground. Quality is good for the most part, but size is a little disappointing on late maturing varieties. Rain fell on Sunday which should improve harvesting conditions. A few applications of vine desiccant still being applied. Fall lime being applied to grain ground. Pam Hickey (Ext), Central Aroostook: Harvesting is going excellent. We have had excellent weather, although we are getting rain now that will delay harvest for a few days. Growers are continuing to vine kill late varieties. Canola is approximately 85 percent harvested. Barley and oats are still being harvested - 85 to 95 percent harvested so far. Donna Lamb (Ext), Piscataquis: Most fields are too wet to harvest. Rick Kersbergen (Ext), Waldo: Lots of rain over the weekend will put corn silage harvest on hold for a while. Wind and heavy rains on Sunday will make any field work difficult. Cold weather predicted for the end of the week. Trudy Soucy (FSA), Knox/Lincoln: Apples showing the effects of this summer's weather. Some orchards have few apples due to poor pollination weather. Apples are small due to weather conditions. Scab on apples also due to weather. Heavy rain all day Sunday, should help wells recover. Pumpkins and corn stalks are available for decorating. Michael Tardy (FSA), Androscoggin: The harvest was going well and then the rains came. We'll have to wait and see if the farmers can get on the fields soon. Crops look great but we've heard that some of the silage corn have small or little ears. Parker Rand (FSA), Cumberland/York: Fall rains have slowed what appears to be an excellent harvest. With more rain in the forecast, things could turn around. Farm stands are ablaze in fall colors, pumpkins, fresh apples, and the last of the sweet corn. Gary Raymond (FSA), Franklin: There is plenty of water for the end of the crop season water table. Grain corn, soybeans and potatoes remain to be harvested. Silage corn is a bumper crop. Lots of pumpkins for sale. Laura Rand (FSA), Oxford: Thoughts are turning to cold weather and potential frost. Farmers are busy spreading manure and tying up loose ends on hay activities. Silage corn and potatoes are being harvested. MASSACHUSETTS - Arthur Williams (FSA), Berkshire: Farmers have complained about wet corn ground. Had reports of up to five inches of rain since the 16th. Pumpkin producers very busy picking veggies for sale. Winter squash (blue hubbard, etc) crop looks good. Sweet corn nearly done. Still no frost so things are still green. Foliage is maybe ten percent now. Kip Graham (FSA), Worcester: Apple picking still in full swing. Most vegetables harvested and brought to market. Some sweet corn still standing. Winter squash and pumpkins randomly being picked. Much still standing in the fields. Silage corn is being harvested and in full swing. Not too many insect problems being reported. Frank Caruso (Ext), Plymouth: Cranberries: Harvesting started for many growers this week. Crops variable, in size and quality. Very few frost nights so far. Irrigation has been necessary. David Rose (FSA), Bristol: A good week weather wise. All crops still in good supply. Everything looks pretty good as the season winds down. John Devine (FSA), Franklin: Field conditions have gone from bad to impossible after 4 inches of rain on Sunday. It's been so rainy that most farmers are ready to throw out their rain gauges. Since Isabel's departure on 9/18, Franklin County has had over 10 inches of rain! All fall crops have been affected and potential losses could be high. Ted Smiarowski, Jr. (FSA), Hampshire/Hampden: Rain, rain, and more rain - 3 plus inches fell. All fields are saturated with pools of water in many fields. Growers are going to have a very hard time harvesting potatoes, field corn and other fall crops this coming week. The big question is: How much water can the fall crops absorb before they start to break down? All this rain brought 3 damp days for broadleaf tobacco growers to start taking down their crop and stripping it into bundles for sale. Gary Guida, Worcester: Last of sweet corn picked this weekend. Most farm stands and farmers switching over to fall crops as summer crops starting to wind down. Slow weekend sales as weather was definitely a factor - we all need some down time to recharge ourselves for the last final fall push. Pumpkins now getting real orange - and just in time! NEW HAMPSHIRE - Amy Ouellette (Ext), Belknap: Picking McIntosh and Cortland apples, good looking pumpkins, corn stalks, Indian corn, gourds, and remaining summer vegetables. Almost all the second cut hay is finished, many on the third cut. Farmers are starting to get fields cleaned up, soil testing, applying lime and seeding cover crops. Carl Majewski (Ext), Cheshire: Corn chopping is progressing well, though rainy days have caused some delays. Some baleage being made here and there, regrowth looking good in many places for a possible fourth cutting. Pastures are producing nicely. PYO apple sales in full swing. Vegetable stands harvesting pumpkins while other crops are about done for the year. Steve Turaj (Ext), Coos: Silage corn harvest now in high gear with what looks like a generally good crop coming in throughout the county. A little late crop haying also occurring with some difficulty considering heavy dews, rain showers. No hard freeze as yet. Late season apples, Honey crisp, about ripe, Macs and Cortlands available. Pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds at farm stands with attractive displays. Corn mazes still in operation. Some powdery mildew in pumpkins, but we seem to have escaped the considerable damage reported in other locations. Tom Buob (Ext), Grafton: Corn silage harvest in full swing. Most corn yields have been good to excellent. Rain has slowed work in some fields. Growth on 4th cut is slowing due to cooler weather. Still looks good. Steve Schmidt (FSA), Grafton: The grass is still growing, and there may still be yet another cutting of alfalfa for some producers. Corn harvest is in full swing, with a number of producers done or nearly done harvesting. Some sample plots showed corn yields approaching 200 bu per acre, especially on those fields with higher planting populations. No frost yet, and if temperatures remain moderate for a while longer, those taking late cuttings may do well. George Hamilton (Ext), Hillsborough: Fruit: Apple harvest is in full swing with most growers concentrating on second picking McIntosh and Gala apples, working on Cortland and Macoun. Fruit size is excellent, but bruising can be a problem. Seeing a high amount of apple drop from heavy rain showers. Fall raspberries and pear harvest continued with peach and plum harvest winding up. Vegetables: Harvesting wide array of vegetables, including warm season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. Harvesting cabbage, kale, brussel sprouts, winter squash and pumpkins. Good demand for all vegetables continues. Farmers kept busy disking, cleaning up and planting cover crops on harvested fields. Field Crops: Field corn harvest in full swing. Second and third cuts of hay and haylage continue between showers. Some manure spreading on fields taking place. Cover crops were being planted in harvested fields. David Seavey (Ext), Merrimack: No frost yet. Apple harvest and corn harvest continues. Squash and pumpkins are being harvested with more disease then we'd like to see. Some third cut hay brought in. Good silage corn yields reported although some variable due to extreme dry and wet conditions. Winter rye seedings made. Vegetable field cleanup continues. Nada Haddad (Ext), Rockingham: Weather is warm and no frost yet. Rained this week and on the weekend which slowed traffic at the PYO apple orchards. Harvesting quite an array of vegetables, pumpkins, apples. Haying and chopping corn. Planting cover crops. Liming and spreading manure. RHODE ISLAND - Karen Menezes (Ext), Newport: Cover crops for potatoes doing beautifully, most potatoes harvested. Sweet corn coming down the final leg, plenty of summer vegetables available along with hard squash and pumpkins and gourds. Lots of field corn being chopped. Christmas tree plantations getting the grass cut, finishing up some late pruning and looking forward to some early tagging. Dexter Miller (RC&D), All Counties: Sweet corn, tomatoes, and vegetables are still being picked and look to be in great condition. Apples and peaches are excellent in appearance and taste. Many farms are gearing up for harvest festivals, and families visiting see displays of a colorful harvest of fruits, vegetables, mums, gourds, and stalks. VERMONT - John St. Onge/Kim Peterson (FSA), Lamoille: With the exception of the big rain on Sunday we've had perfect weather for the corn harvest. Yields have been great!! Still some third cut grass to be harvested as the weather permits. Pumpkin harvest about over with better than average yields and quality. Dave Blodgett (NRCS), Orleans: Landowner's are coming down the home stretch harvesting corn. We received over 2 inches of rain on Sunday which will make conditions a little wet for that remaining corn harvest. All reports say the corn yield is very heavy this year. I haven't heard any corn quality reports yet. There is still a little 3rd and 4th cut hay to harvest but most farms are done for the season. The weather report is saying a possibility of some snow flakes this week so the end of the harvest season is near. Lynette Hamilton/Perley Sparrow (FSA), Windham: Heavy rain over the past weekend has slowed down corn harvest. Fall veggies have seen a strong market for wholesale, with slow fall foliage the retail market is slow. Jeff Carter (Ext), Addison: Third harvest of haylage complete. Dry hay harvest ended. Harvesting corn silage in full swing. Some manure spreading on hay fields and harvested corn fields. Some primary tillage with moldboard, subsoil or chisel plows. New seedings filled in, mostly no harvest of forage this year. Soil conditions have been very dry, now surface is saturated. Eric Winchester (FSA) Orange/Windsor: The last full week of September was cool but not cold. We had 3 days with some good, soaking rains. The sun was out much of the rest of the week. The principal activity this week was chopping corn silage. Dennis Kauppila (Ext), Caledonia: Wet week, but lots of corn being chopped. A day of heavy showers or rain, then 2 days of sunny fall days, then another day of moisture. Still no frost, but it is getting so late that any frost will not cut short this growing season. It has been a good growing season. Heather Darby (Ext), Franklin: We received some well needed rain last week. This slowed down corn chopping slightly. Most corn yields reported in our area have been above average. Manure is being spread on chopped corn fields. Some third cut hay still being harvested. -- Contact Information -- To receive this report every Monday evening, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov and in the body, type subscribe usda-new-eng-crop-weather Statisticians: Emily McAllister, Robin Helrich Stat Assistant: Wayne Colpitt Deputy Director: Joe Samson New England Agricultural Statistics Service National Agricultural Statistics Service United States Department of Agriculture Aubrey R. Davis, Director 22 Bridge St, 3rd Floor PO Box 1444 Concord, NH 03302-1444 Phone: (603) 224-9639 Fax: (603) 225-1434 Internet: http://www.usda.gov/nass/ E-Mail: nass.nh@nass.usda.gov ****************** end of report ***********************