Farmers are pulling their hair out, if they have any, with frustration over a delayed start to their planting and haymaking season.
Delays are common across the region caused by the frequent rainfall so far this spring causing them to struggle with completing their corn and soybean planting and their first cutting of hay.
Delays in crop planting reduce yield and delays in hay harvest reduce quality. This is the hand we have been dealt and changing to plan B is a regular part of farming life when you have no control over the weather.
Most machinery is now in tip-top shape as there have been plenty of shop days with the rain. This allows for maintenance and improvements in field equipment to take place.
Leading managers are preparing their grain harvesting equipment for the upcoming barley and wheat harvest. Rain helps these small grains fill out but is a threat to quality and yield as maturity is reached. High value barley and wheat markets have growers on edge, watching for risk weather brings as their small grains mature.
A successful harvest will ease the stress and replace resources needed for planting double crop soybeans following the small grain harvest.
Double crop beans will yield less but take advantage of available land while there is still time to make a second crop.
New crop barley and wheat straw will be available soon too if needed. Buying when there is a surplus is a good idea and is the only chance you have to buy out of the field or off the wagon, a good deal for both parties. It is hard to beat good barley straw if you can find it.
It contains very few weeds, is excellent mulch for gardens and for animal bedding. Wheat straw is more common and also makes excellent mulch and bedding — stock up at harvest if you can.
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