SLOW GOING: Seasonal temperatures minus rain or snow the past week has dried corn and soybean fields enough to harvest in earnest. On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said soybean harvest is only about eight days behind average while corn picking lags about three weeks behind as ear moisture is high due to three wet snows and ample rain in October.

It was slow going for this combine about a mile north of Gothenburg Friday as its snouts were set low to the ground to scoop up stalks which had fallen to the ground.