He called it a tale of two crops &045; one that pleasantly surprised him and another that was poor.

On Friday, Terry Kvenvold climbed into his combine, along with other farmers across the state this fall, and continued to see evidence that the Minnesota Department of Agriculture was right about projected yields.

Corn yields are down from their record year in 2002, but still remain above the national average &045; a surprise to Kvenvold, given the late-summer drought. Soybean yields, however, are down by about 20 percent.

&uot;I don’t mind a poor yield if the price is high,&uot; he said. But with Minnesota producing lower yields than the nationwide average, Minnesota soybean producers will have less than farmers in other states.

In the case of corn, other states are producing record crops.

“I’m too old to worry. I’m pushing 65 and I’ve been farming all my life,&uot; Kvenvold said. He said that accepting the harvest is a part of being a farmer.

He expects farmers not to a take as big of a hit because of farm subsidies, but he expects soybeans have less chance of getting subsidies for farmers.

Kvenvold actually did better than the average, but his yields are down by similar percentages.

The forecast released Friday for corn is 143 bushels per acre, compared to the five-year average of 147, and last year’s average of 157.

Nationwide, the forecast is 142 bushels per acre.

The forecast for soybeans is 32 bushels per acre, down 11 bushels from the record yield last year, and two-and-a-half bushels lower than the nationwide average.

(Contact Tim Sturrock at tim.sturrock@albertleatribune.com or 379-3438.)