Harvesting Feed Corn for the Best Price: What to Do

Harvesting feed corn to sell as grain should be planned from field readiness through to delivery. This article focuses on grain harvesting, which differs from harvesting sweet corn or whole plants for silage.

Check the crop is ready

Assess the corn’s maturity and measure kernel moisture, and check the buyer’s purchase criteria and drying capacity in advance. High-moisture grain needs a proper post-harvest handling plan.

Prepare field information for the driver

Share the row spacing, lodging, slope, access and soil conditions so the contractor can confirm the header and machine suit the job. Before starting, survey obstacles and agree on the grain unloading point together.

Check grain quality during the job

Take samples from a safe spot and check for cracked kernels, foreign material and kernels still on the cob. If something looks wrong, check the machine settings against the manual, ask the operator to assess, and review the results after adjusting under similar conditions.

Arrange transport and drying

Schedule trucks and the receiving point to match your harvest volume, use clean areas and containers, keep the grain dry in transit, and get it into proper drying quickly.

Before setting a harvest date, farm owners should coordinate with both the contractor and the buyer, so everything runs smoothly from the field to delivery.