We Are Not Having A Normal Winter
Winter Rains & Flooding Following 60 Degrees in January
Trent Brandenburg believes the jumbled, abnormal weather patterns of 2019 “are not done yet.” He continued, “It’s supposed to get cold in December and stay cold until March. But here we are having 60-degree days in January and it’s still raining!!” Trent wants to move grain from his bins to the elevator now that it’s a new tax year, and it’s as muddy as it was when the crops were planted last spring. With record rainfall predicted over this weekend (January 10-12, 2020) it’s not likely to dry out soon.
Fortunately, Trent has his fall tillage 95% done, so he will not be behind going into spring. “If you can’t get started in the spring, that has a tail that lasts all year,” Trent observed. Trent plans to stay with his present crop rotations of corn and soybeans. Despite enduring the weather and market challenges of the past crop year, Trent “still has the desire to start the new year. I just want a good clean start,” he concluded.
More from The Field Report
Summertime Mowing And Spraying
Trent Brandenburg has been busy mowing his lawn and his roadsides due to the sunshine and frequent rains making his grass grow as well as his corn and soybeans. He has been hiring aerial spraying of fungicides to suppress disease [...]
Everything Looks Pretty Good, Says Trent
Trent Brandenburg has finished planting except for a few ponds. He is pleased with the germination so far. It is still too wet for side-dressing, but at least the Drought Monitor shows no dryness in Trent's farming area of Central [...]
Waiting For It To Dry Out
Trent Brandenburg got 1.5 inches of rainfall over Easter Weekend, so he is "waiting for it to dry out," to resume planting. He began planting last Tuesday, April 15. Trent estimated he has about a third of his corn and [...]