Trevor Holbrook
The ripple effect of COVID-19 for soybean farmers, demand, and transportation
Weather update shows little change for next three months
Corn Belt snowstorm presents short-term – not long-term – problem
Northern Corn Belt weather lags as planting starts in southern Midwest states
Planting season inches closer for many around the Midwest, and some states have even begun planting, as the first 2020 crop progress report showed on Monday.
Weather is always an important ingredient for the planting season, but this year it could be more top-of-mind for farmers after a wet 2019.
Read more: USDA's first Crop Progress Report shows 3% of corn planted
Wetness status across the Corn Belt remains a concern
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.
How one young farmer changed his nutrient management
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.