Spring Planting 2019- A New Reality

This March, I will have been married to my husband for 40 years. There has never been a spring like this. When non-farmers ask me “What are you going to do about all the rain and spring planting?” I say, “I don’t know.” Because we have never faced a spring like 2019.

My husband started farming for his cousin Bob when he was 14 years old. Farming has been the love of his life. Bob provided this wonderful opportunity for him and he has never looked back. Even with the difficulties of this year, he would have not chosen differently. This year though surely is a challenge. You can see why farmers are a religious bunch. We need our faith for times like this.

What is the challenge?

The challenge is that it has not stopped raining. There have only been so many dry days to get a crop into the field. The soil first has to be worked, then the crop planted. If the soil is wet, it has to be dry enough for equipment to be able to work the soil to be ready for the planter.

We are luckier than many. We have some crops planted. Some have not been able to be in the fields at all. Then there have been the tornadoes and the flooding and what reason do I have to complain? I have a house, clothes, my family and my health, really that is everything.

Farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers

As the spring progresses, keep those in the agricultural industry in your thoughts and prayers. This spring affects so many. Agriculture is not just about farming, so many industries rely on the crops grown. The equipment sold, the transportation, the feed mills, employees and on and on. While farmers are only less than 2% of the population 11% of the jobs are agriculture related according to a USDA report.

Enough Whining

That is it from me. I will stop with the whining. I was recently at a writer event with a friend of mine. We were at a dinner and the unfortunate diners around me asked how farming was going. Later that evening I asked my friend, “Did I say too much?” She graciously looked at me and said, “Well maybe just a bit.”

I told my mom about this and she said its kind of like going on about an operation. So I’ll stop. Anyway, if you don’t live on a farm, you may not know how all this wet weather is affecting the farmers, ranchers and others in this business, and I wanted you to have a idea. And now you do.

If you enjoyed this article read about safe travels during spring planting.