Recent Rains Restore Hope to Thirsty Farm Fields

Aug 14, 2023

By Pamela Smith

The idiom "when it rains it pours" may have originated with a Morton salt commercial, but Zachary Grossman has now experienced it firsthand.

Rainfall totals on his northwest Missouri farm amounted from 10 to nearly 12 inches during the past two weeks. "I don't even know if I've added it all up right as there's been so much. That's saying something after living drop-to-drop most of the summer," said Grossman.

"Not only have the crops responded, but it looks like we're going to have enough grass to carry the cattle through fall and may go into winter with a hay surplus. It's just crazy how everything has turned around," he added. Heat and drought have no doubt taken some toll on row crops, but yield checks have left Grossman more optimistic about them as well.

Grossman, who lives near Tina, is participating in DTN's View From the Cab project, a regular feature that covers crop conditions and other rural issues throughout the 2023 growing season.

Also reporting in this year are Chandra and Mike Langseth, who farm in southeastern North Dakota near Barney.

DTN visited with the View From the Cab farmers about current crop conditions for an upcoming free Ag Summit Series event on Aug. 15. Tune in to hear the farmers cover past and current growing conditions and give their assessment of yield potential as of early August. During the webinar, DTN Farm Business Editor Katie Dehlinger will be joined by researchers from Gro Intelligence to dig deeper in the data behind DTN's Digital Yield Tour. Also included will be segments from DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick on the long-range weather forecast and by DTN Lead Analyst Todd Hultman on the outlook for the grain markets. The webinar will be recorded, but you must register to access the recording here: www.dtn.com/agsummit.

This week View From the Cab goes right to the field. Readers can listen in as DTN crops editor Jason Jenkins visits with Grossman about crop conditions. Go to https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Meanwhile, Baranick said the recent stretch of weather that has benefited both of these farms this week will continue into the coming week.

"In Barney, North Dakota, it looks like a good chance for rain on Sunday. A couple of fronts will go by on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Models don't have a lot of precipitation with them in North Dakota, but we could see a couple little cells squeak out some brief, spotty amounts. Temperatures will continue to be quite enjoyable with daytime highs in the 70s to lower 80s and overnight lows in the 50s," said Baranick.

He said Tina, Missouri should be a few degrees warmer, but still comfortable most of the week with temperatures in the upper 70s to middle 80s Fahrenheit by the end of the week.

"We could see that system on Sunday into Monday produce some thunderstorms, but the couple of fronts that go through North Dakota are expected to be mostly dry as they go through northern Missouri. That could change, but it's not in the forecast," he said.

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Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.