By Sarah Lovas
As I write this, it is April 11th and we are having yet another snowstorm. And it’s flooding. Even though the spring melt brought on the floods, it seems like this winter will never end. This is certainly one of the latest winters that I can remember. While this type of weather can be depressing for everyone, it presents some challenges for the farmer.
Planting dates throughout the U.S. and even throughout North Dakota vary by region. In my neck of the woods, if the weather cooperates, I like to plant wheat the middle of April, corn the end of April and early May, and soybeans in early to middle of May. I really like to be finished planting by around the middle to end of May. Right now, this planting schedule isn’t looking real likely for 2019 due to the weather.
Before we plant, the snow has to melt, the ground must thaw, the frost must come out, and the soil must be dry enough to make a good seedbed. As the weather pushes the planting dates later, the yield potential decreases, and we also risk having a late harvest. A late harvest can be challenging because we never know when winter will begin next year. If winter sets in early and we have a late crop, we may not be able to harvest the crop. This is the bad news.
The good news is that spring always comes. Even the most difficult winters and flood seasons eventually give way to sunshine and warmer weather comes and thaws us out.
I think farmers are just as persistent as the long winter, predictable as the sun rising in the east, and as optimistic as a robin standing in a snowbank. The crop will get planted. Technology and engineering have helped develop equipment that is larger and more efficient than ever. The tractors have GPS which allows us to use autosteer. Since we don’t need light to drive across the field anymore, we are no longer restricted to working from sun up to sun down. Rather, we work from start to finish.
I know that I’m nervous about the 2019 spring planting season. There’s a lot of work that will have to get done in a very short amount of time. There are going to be a lot of long days and nights of work. I know we can do it and that it will get done.