WASHBURN - With a little easy listening music playing softly in the background, Tom Thompson gently bobs up and down in a pneumatic seat.

Harvesting corn is a breeze these days, said Thompson, as the hopper of his 1993 John Deere combine quickly filled to capacity Monday afternoon. As he maneuvered the machine across the field just south of Washburn in the climate-controlled cab, his thoughts slipped back 72 years, when he traversed the very same field with a horse-drawn corn picker.

Metal seats that weren't exactly form fitting were the rage then. Thompson is a big fan of technology.

"This is good, very relaxing. Barring a break down, combining is easy work," Thompson said.

Monday's U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report indicates the 85-year-old farmer is doing better than most around the state. Sixty-seven percent of Iowa's corn is harvested, which is 10 percentage points behind last year and 1 point behind normal.

Thompson, though, is nearly finished with his 500 acres, which is split between corn and soybeans. His son, Bart, works full time at Bertch Cabinet Manufacturing and helps his dad on the side.

Eventually, the younger Thompson said he'll take over fulfilling his dream of becoming a farmer, but he's not sure when that will happen. His dad is in great shape and says he'll farm as long as his health allows.

"I just enjoy it. The good Lord has been good to me and I'm very thankful … especially having this machinery," Thompson said.

This year won't be a record-breaker for Thompson, but he's pleased with the harvest. Corn was averaging in the 150s per bushel up until Monday, when an infestation of ragweed was found in the last field. That cut into yields by 20 bushels an acre.

Still, he'll take that compared to 25 to 30 bushels an acre the same field produced 72 years ago.

"I picked corn in the morning (for 5 cents a bushel) and went to school in the afternoon," the World War II Marine recalled.

As of Sunday, the report said field corn is averaging 18 percent moisture, 1 point higher than last year. Harvested corn is averaging 17 percent, 2 points above last year.

More than 2.6 million acres of cropland were wiped clean last week, according to the report. The southwest and south-central parts of the state are lagging behind other regions.

The state's soybean harvest sits at 94 percent complete, which is nine days behind last year and three days behind normal. Only 2 percent of Northeast Iowa bean fields have yet to be combined.

The Jim and Ann Sage family, who farm under the name Rainbow Farms, still have soybeans in the field. Their sons, Craig and Tim, operate farms near Waterloo and Van Horne, respectively.

On Aug. 10, strong straight-line winds hit the Van Horne area, devastating crops and property. The Sages lost two barns and 150 acres of corn was flattened, which they've tried to salvage, slowing harvest. Some was combined, some was chopped and some will be used for grazing purposes for cattle.

Craig Sage said the Waterloo farm produced probably one of their top three corn crops ever for that location, averaging 175 to 180 bushels per acre. What looked like a promising crop as well at the Van Horne farm turned out to be more than 100 bushels less per acre.

"It's always a hit and miss occurrence in farming. When you plant the seed in the ground, you never know what will happen until it gets in the bin," Jim Sage said.

Craig Sage said he was a little disappointed in the soybean yields, averaging about 50 bushels per acre.

In addition to harvest, the report indicated wet grain was hauled to elevators last week, while dry grain returned to farm bins. Manure and commercial fertilizer was applied, fields were tilled and tile work started.

Cattle continue to be moved to stubble fields.

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.