DIKE --- Time and money --- two things that always seem to be in short supply.

That's especially true this fall. Farmers are combining big crops, but this harvest is shaping up to be one of the slowest and most costly in recent memory.

The latest weekly U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said 53 percent of soybeans and 88 percent of corn are still in fields. Normally, crop experts said, all soybeans and at least half the corn would be off to market or safely in bins.

With harvest already three weeks behind schedule because of late maturing plants and recent rainfall, farmers are at the point of doing whatever it takes to get soybeans and corn out. Many are working in saturated fields risking soil compaction, renting or buying extra equipment to increase productivity and combining wet crops that will cost a lot of money to dry.

Farmers know their actions may jeopardize profitability, but waiting for fields and crops to dry naturally isn't an option.

"It's Nov. 1, and time is running out. It's more important to get the (crops) out," said Alan DeBerg of rural Dike as he drove his front-wheel assist John Deere tractor and grain cart Monday through a muddy corn field. Compacted soils, if not tilled (which costs money), hurt yields.

At the same time, his harvesting partner, Eldon Dieken of Grundy Center, nearly got their 9570 STS John Deere combine with straddle duals stuck as it gobbled up eight rows of corn.

"We'd probably be sitting at home now, but this year you can't do that with all the rain," Dieken admitted.

The USDA estimates corn statewide will average a record 188 bushels per acre. Soybeans are high, as well, at 52 bushels per acre. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey estimates about $10 billion worth of crops are in the fields and vulnerable.

Farmers say that's too much money to risk waiting. Many are willing to spend a little more to get the crop out before the snow flies. Plants start to deteriorate after they're killed by a hard freeze, which occurred about a month ago. Stalks and stems are more susceptible to tipping over from wet snow and high winds, especially in saturated soils. Wet soybean seeds can swell and shatter. Corn ears and soybean pods can be knocked off. Snow can make combining difficult or impossible.

Producers fear weather-related losses could be worse than the extra money spent on equipment and drying.

"It's so late in the year, we'll be doing something, no matter what," said Alan Karkosh, who rented an extra combine from Waterloo Implement to speed up harvest. Rentals typically cost $7,000 to $10,000, dealers said.

The report said corn in the field averages 27 percent moisture, while harvested kernels average 23 percent. Corn needs to be 15.5 percent or below to sell or store long-term.

Bob Stewart, who lives in Dike but farms near Hudson, would like to let Mother Nature --- warm, windy days --- do the work. That's not an option like years past.

Normally, Stewart purchases about 10,000 gallons of liquid propane to fuel his corn dryer. He expects to double that.

"The corn is wetter and it's drying hard," Stewart said, noting his drying capacity is 10,000 bushels a day. "The chink in the armor is the dryer. I can harvest twice that."

Even though LP is about $1 cheaper per gallon than last harvest, which was considered wet, as well, crop experts said drying costs will be higher this fall.

George Cummins, Iowa State University Extension crop specialist based in Charles City, estimates about 50 cents per bushel to dry down corn 10 points this year compared to 42 cents last year.

For 500 acres of corn averaging 188 bushels per acre, as predicted by the government, it would cost $47,000 to remove 10 points of moisture.

Cold, damp days and nights make it harder for dryers to produce enough heat to efficiently dry corn.

"Drying is a major concern," Cummins said.

Margins prior to the growing season were expected to be razor-thin, crop experts said. Lower commodity prices and higher input costs compared to 2008 are to blame.

ISU estimates farmers need $3.67 per bushel for corn following soybeans to break even. Producers need $9.81 for soybeans.

December corn on the Chicago Board of Trade sold for $3.70 per bushel on Tuesday afternoon, while January beans brought $9.76.

Cummins said the extra expense of a wet harvest will hurt the bottom line of most producers. And if farmers don't have money, they can't spend it.

"That will trickle down to the rest of the economy," Cummins said. "Less money at the end of the year means less purchases, cash rents � everything."