Northwest Indiana farmers are still waiting on a good window to really get rolling this planting season.
As cool temperatures and persistent rain have kept soils saturated across much of the region fieldwork has been slow to start, with many growers hesitant to put seed in the ground under less-than-ideal conditions, especially with soil temperatures lagging behind normal for mid-April.
Denise Scarborough, a farmer from LaPorte County, gave us a first hand report from that area.
“We have been extremely wet in northwest Indiana this time of year and haven’t had anything else. And we’ve actually gotten really cold again. We had a pretty good freeze overnight into this morning. Looks like the weather might start turning around and maybe we can get some work done. But what looks like was going to be a good week is now looking to shape up to have a little bit of thunderstorms on Tuesday, so hopefully that stays away and we can start getting some seeds in the ground.”
The good news is the forecast is offering a bit of optimism. Warmer temperatures are expected to build in over the coming days, helping to dry out fields and raise soil temps closer to that key threshold for corn and soybean germination. While some scattered showers are still possible early in the week, a stretch of drier weather by mid- to late-week could provide the first real opportunity for planters to roll out.
Farmers will be watching closely, ready to move quickly when conditions finally turn in their favor.
