Trevor Holbrook

Planting season on the horizon alone already adds stress to a farmer’s day-to-day life. 

Aside from getting everything prepared, COVID-19, fluctuating markets, and other forms of uncertainty are added to the equation.

The other big piece of uncertainty – and arguably one of the most important – is the weather. The entire Corn Belt is sensitive to any kind of excess rain that could arrive this spring, and Successful Farming talked to Dennis Todey, Director of the USDA Midwest Climate Hub, to provide an update on the planting season weather.

Located near Montello, Wisconsin, Eric Coddington returned to the family farm after college to work alongside his father.

Coddington took a hiatus to gain his degree from Iowa State University in agronomy, graduating in 2017. Two years after graduation, Coddington reunited full-time with the farm he grew up on.

While his dad possesses decades of experience, Coddington bounces new ideas and potential improvements off his dad. As a young, passionate farmer, Coddington spoke with Successful Farming to break down his family’s farm and agriculture in general.

As days suitable for fieldwork continue to fall in the Corn Belt, Iowa State’s research tries to maximize how farmers can spend that time.

A soon-to-be college graduate gives his thoughts on hemp, data, and the future of agriculture, along with what he’s learned from New Zealand and Costa Rica.

Temperatures could reach close to 70°F. in parts of the Midwest.

Corn Belt tiles have continued to run, because of a lack of a deep freeze in most parts of the region.