Wet conditions continue to delay the start of the 2026 harvest season in west central Ohio, keeping combines out of fields that have already absorbed a year of extreme weather.

Scott Haerr, who raises corn and soybeans in Clark and Champaign Counties, says he is still waiting for his first pass of the season. “We’re hoping to get in the field maybe later this week and get started with a little bit of corn,” he says. “Hopefully we get some […]”

His comment cuts off mid-sentence in the source report, but the direction is clear: growers in the region are watching the sky and the soil surface, calculating how soon equipment can carry harvest weight without compaction losses.

The delay caps a 2026 growing season marked by extreme weather from start to finish, according to the report. For farmers like Haerr, the immediate question is timing — each day the crop stands in the field exposes it to further weather risk, while saturated soils limit the window for machinery.

Corn and soybeans dominate the acreage in Clark and Champaign Counties, and the harvest pace there will feed directly into local elevator schedules, basis levels and drying costs for growers across west central Ohio.

Haerr’s operation reflects the broader position of Ohio producers this fall: a crop in the ground, a delayed start and a narrow margin between a timely harvest and weather-driven deductions. He remains hopeful that conditions firm up within days.

The next stretch of dry weather will determine whether combines roll across Clark and Champaign County fields this week or whether the 2026 harvest waits longer.