Iowa harvest wrapping up, but farmers worrying about lack of moisture

Iowa farmers are wrapping up the harvest season, even as worries grow about the possibility of a dry 2012.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in the weekly crop report on Monday that nearly all the corn and soybeans have been harvested. Grain moving from farm to elevator is slow, but storage on and off the farm is adequate.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says the lack of moisture is a concern as farmers look ahead to next year. Much of Iowa, except the northwest, had snow last week. The report says over half of northwest Iowa is now considered very short of topsoil and subsoil moisture.

State climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide average precipitation was about an inch, marking the wettest week in 11 weeks.