Fall Harvest Season in North Dakota

During the fall, there is a massive influx of pumpkins and potatoes throughout American grocers, farmers' markets, and pop-up pumpkin patches. This is because of the fall harvest season.

Harvesting is the gathering of ripe crops or animals. Fall harvest starts in September and spans through late November. Because of this time frame, while many are focused on pumpkin carving, pumpkin lattes, and pumpkin desserts, the agricultural industry is busy and focused on harvesting its crops.

North Dakota is an agricultural state producing over 50 different commodities with multiple harvest seasons throughout the year. 90% of its land is used to support agriculture and it is the nation’s number one producer of canola, flaxseed, honey, spring wheat, dry edible beans, and dry edible peas.

North Dakota’s top fall harvest commodities are:

• Soybeans
• Canola
• Sugar Beets
• Flaxseed
• Dry edible beans

Due to this year’s drought, farmers were concerned about their crops for the fall harvest. Thankfully, the wet days in August helped, and the majority of crops were saved.

2023 Fall Harvest Stats 

“Last year marked record export numbers for the agricultural sector, showing that there is a global desire for the high-quality foods produced here at home and that our agricultural industry understands their role in feeding the world, with productivity and with compassion.” - Tom Vilsack, Agriculture Secretary

The following stats were taken from the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service’s North Dakota Crop Progress and Condition report for the week ending October 22, 2023:

• Soybeans harvested at 85%, ahead of the 70% for the five-year average
• Canola harvested at 97%, equals about average. 
• Sugar Beets harvest at 87%, ahead of the 75% average
• Flaxseed harvested at 93%, near the 95% average
• Dry edible beans harvested at 99%, ahead of the 90% average

North Dakota produces almost 85% of America’s canola. Although the drought prevented farmers from planting earlier, the late harvest solidified North Dakota’s 5-year reign of producing 1.9M of the 2.2M canola acres within the U.S. As of the USDA’s October 12, 2023, Crop Production Report, “North Dakota will reach a new record of 3.4B pounds, up 4.7% from last year.”

Cattle

Calves are usually born in spring and fall. Due to the age of all cattle, many cattlemen sell beef in June/July and October/November.

Because of North Dakota’s drought, cattle, hogs, and sheep farms were also affected. Yet, Jason Leiseth, President of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association is positive North Dakota’s cattlemen will make a full recovery this year. Following the annual North Dakota Stockmen’s Association’s All Breeds Cattle Tour, Leiseth said, “All classes of cattle really have set new records month after month and we’re pretty much at all time highs on most classes of cattle. … We’re right on that marketing season for the guys that wean and sell calves in the fall. … Many of the cattle have been contracted or sold on video earlier this summer and they’re delivering in the next few weeks. You know, so it’s going to be a good pay day for folks in North Dakota.”

Gather and Grow Here

In 2022, Lewis & Clark Development Group was awarded $15M in USDA Rural Development Grant funds. This award is being used to help fund the Meat and Poultry Intermediary Loan Program to fund building new operations and expanding existing meat processing facilities across rural America. If you are looking to gather and grow your agricultural business in one of the top agricultural states and need assistance, contact Lewis & Clark Development Group.

To learn more about the City of Beulah and all it has to offer, contact Beulah Convention & Visitors Bureau with any questions regarding relocating and tourism.