The corn in Hamilton County is only about knee-high, and soybeans are a long way from canopy, but it’s already harvest time at the Young farm — pea harvest time.

Brian Young, who farms with his father, Stacy, near Stratford, grew peas this year for Birds Eye, which has a frozen vegetable processing plant in southern Minnesota. And last week, despite rains in the area, the peas were ready to be harvested.

“They go 24/7 when the peas are ready, rain or shine,” Young said.

So last week, large six-wheeled harvesters rolled across the Youngs’ fields, picking the...