Ellsworth Independent-Reporter

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Art Kohls dumps a load of milo.

Ellsworth County milo yields above average
By Mark McCoy
Last Updated: November 19, 2008

The annual fall milo harvest is being touted as well above average in Ellsworth County.

“It been six or seven years since we’ve handled this volume,” said Alan Doubrava of the Ellsworth County Coop. “ We are seeing above average weights and yields,” Doubrava said. “In general it is an excellent crop. The entire fall harvest has been great.”

The co-op elevators have been able to store all the grain so far.

“We’ve been able to keep up with it,” Doubrava said. “We’ve had no major problems.”

Test weights have been averaging 59-60 percent. Overall the maturity of the crop has been good but as the later planted crops come in, that might change.

“Particularly that might effect some of the people whose wheat got hailed out this spring and planted late,” he said. “We’d like to see them get a good milo crop to sort of make up for it.”

While the harvest is excellent, prices are not. Milo is currently trading about one-half of what it was three or four months ago according to Doubrava.

“Getting a good market price is the reward,” he said. “Of course the whole financial market has to stabilize before commodity prices will rise.”

Brent Goss of the Ellsworth County Extension Service said that the milo had the best yields he’s ever seen.

“I’ve been hearing reports of anywhere between 70-140 bushel milo,” he said. “We usually average anywhere from 80-86. Last year Ellsworth County was the second largest producer of sorghum in the state. This year may top that.”

Cool, late summer temperatures and a late freeze allowed the heads to fill out according to Goss. The amount of acreage planted to milo was greater due to the spring storms.

“Weather is the boss,” said Art Kohls. “You can till, fertilize and do anything you want but when it comes down to it, weather is the boss.”'

Kohls, who farms north of Ellsworth with his wife of 54 years, Kathy, was discussing his theory about the ingredients of the bumper milo crop they are currently in the process of harvesting. The Kohls have about 175 acres in milo this year and have almost finished their harvest.

“Best year ever for us,” Kohls said. “Everything we have cut has been in the triple digits (bushels per acre).”

The moisture content has been hovering in the 14 percent range this year. The test weights have been heavy, averaging about 60 pounds per bushel as opposed to the benchmark of 56 pounds per bushel.

Milo, also known as maize or grain sorghum, is primarily used for livestock feed in the United States particularly in areas where it is too arid to grow corn. However, it is also used for human consumption as flour, particularly in Africa and Asia.

“It makes a really good gluten-free flour for those that are intolerant,” said Kohl. “It is also a good grain for ethanol.”

See the Nov. 20 edition of the Ellsworth County I-R for more on the Kohls' harvest.

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