Clock is ticking
Clock is ticking
By STU MERRY
A month ago, it was too dry. Now, it’s too wet. And with each passing day, the planting clock keeps ticking. One more idle day is one day closer to fall.
Some farmers are sitting OK, having a majority of their crop in the ground. Others are chomping at the bit to get in the field.
Andy Zink, McLean County FSA executive director, said this spring’s percent of crop planted is all across the board.
“Some are done, some haven’t started – and everything in between,” he said. “It all depends on where you live and where the rain fell.”
In the Ryder area, Doug Smette, manager of SunPrairie Grain, speculates about 60 percent of the crop is in the ground. He thinks once the weather breaks the push will be on to seed sunflowers and flax. In the meantime, farmers wait.
Chris Gratton, Garrison Farmers Union Elevator manager, estimates the amount of seed in the ground in the Garrison area to be about 75 percent
