COGSWELL, N.D. — Usually the combines are parked for the winter this time of year on the Bosse Farm as the crop is usually out by Nov. 1.
However, they are still trying to get at 600 more acres of corn.
"I love farming, but it makes it harder to love it with the conditions we have had this week," said Bruce Bosse.
The Bosse family has been farming for 50 years in Sargent County, and can't remember a harvest this miserable with the wet fall and now several days of sub-zero temperatures. The big machinery is constantly freezing.
"It seems like we have spent more time fixing things then combining," commented Jason Bosse.
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Mix the cold with a foot of snow on the ground, that is slowing operations by about 50 acres a day.
"Usually it's a lot more pleasant than this," said Bruce Bosse from behind the wheel of his combine.
Usually, the family plants about 3,000 acres of corn each year. But they only got half of that planted this season, because the harsh winter delayed the planting season a couple of weeks. With less crop to cash in, and now a wet crop, they aren't going to get much at the elevator.
"It's definitely stressful," said Jason Bosse.
The Bosses aren't alone. According to an industry analyst, 60% of the corn crop remains in the field across North Dakota.
"We are in uncharted territory. There is no playbook for what we are dealing with," said Don Wick with the Red River Farm Network.
Overall, North Dakota plays a small role in the corn industry. But growers in the entire corn belt are struggling to save their crops, so right now how this could impact corn prices remains to be seen.
"It's a million-dollar question, obviously, for these prices to move in the right direction we need a lot of things to happen," said Wick.
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Some farmers will be forced to leave their corn in the field over the winter, something the Bosses don't want to happen.
"Your chances of getting a crop planted next season is pretty slim," said Jason Bosse.
The farming community is just hoping for a better growing year next year.
The Bosses are optimistic they will have all of their corn harvested by next week.
