It’s not been easy, at least for some, but local farmers have been able to dodge potential extended periods of rain and plant their fields, despite crop reports that have said planting progress is behind.
That’s according to farmer Drew DeSutter, also president of the Knox County Farm Bureau’s board of directors.
“Some years, you can just start in one location and work your way one direction. Here, you had to be a lot more selective — what was dry, or what was close to being dry,” said DeSutter. “I think that’s been kind of frustrating for some farmers, and definitely areas that have gotten more rain.”
DeSutter tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL while his farm got plenty of rain, he knows of one seven miles away that so far has only had a couple tenths of an inch.
He says after the last few years of good weather at this time, he knew it had to come around sometime.
“The southern part of the county, they’ve gotten a lot of rain, and some people were able to get done. That last weekend (prior to May 18) was go time for sure,” said Hailey Hennenfent, Executive Director, Knox County Farm Bureau. “Of course, there’s always the breakdowns and things in-between that stall some people. But, I think they are on the right track.
But, rain may not be the only concern for some farmers. Hennenfent says the beetle known as “alfalfa weevils” have been showing up in fields – likely because of not much of a hard freeze this winter. She says most local farmers don’t rely on alfalfa, as much as it gets mixed in with hay.
