What a difference a year makes. Last year, we were dealing with snow on the ground in October and late maturing crops. This year, we have barely seen any precipitation during harvest and the crops matured early. Figure 1 shows harvest progress for U.S. corn (as of Oct. 24) and compares this year’s progress with previous years. As the graph shows, the 2010 corn harvest in the U.S. is the one of the fastest of the past 30 years. In comparison, the 2009 harvest was one of the slowest on record. Figure 2 displays the same information for U.S. soybeans, different crop but the same story. Delays in harvest supported crop prices last fall. The quick harvest this fall has put downward pressure on prices, but that impact has been overwhelmed by other factors.