BROWNTON, Minn. — Bud Sanken has been patiently waiting to start spring planting.
"It's been pretty wet. We've had some days that we spent inside just waiting on a rain and waiting for things to dry out. We can't be out doing field work if the conditions are too wet. You don't want to be making a mess in muddy soil at all," Sanken said.
Sanken of Sanken Farms, just outside of Hutchinson, was able to finally start planting corn on Sunday. Sanken said they usually like to start planting corn the last week of April and first week in May.
"We're not terribly far behind. If we could get a stretch of weather from today, two weeks from now we could get our crop in on time and it'd be just perfect. But the forecast extended doesn't look quite like we're going to get anything like that. So we've got to work when the sun shines," Sanken said.
The United States Department of Agriculture's Minnesota Crop Progress & Condition report for the week ending April 28, found that corn planting was 2 percent complete statewide. That's ahead of last year by three days but 15 days behind the five-year average. An AccuWeather analysis found that because of the weather in four of the top six states for corn production, corn planting is generally behind schedule in the United States and the situation is not expected to improve. According to AccuWeather meteorologists, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and South Dakota are significantly behind schedule and expected to remain that way.
"Farmers are eternal optimists. We're going to get this crop in the ground and it's going to be a good crop. So we're looking forward to this season; everybody's pretty excited. But these bad days we have when the sun's not shining like it is today, the bad days definitely reflect on some guys' attitudes. Everybody gets anxious and excited to get in the fields," Sanken said.
Sanken said farmers near him, straight west of the metro, are faring better than farmers in southern Minnesota, saying, "The guys in southern Minnesota are definitely behind and they've had a tough last couple springs."
With rain in the forecast this week, Sanken is staying busy. He said, "By the looks of the forecast, I guess I'm a little concerned. But we always find a way to get it done."