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EmailFarmers Say One of Worst Years for Planting
On a windy day, waves lapping at the shore is to be expected. But this is no lake, not even a pond, it's a farm field where last year crops were planted.
Brad Paumen farms this field.
"This particular farm is about 255 acres, we are leaving probably 20 acres that we can't plant because it's just too late."
Since Friday Paumen and his crew have been working nearly 24 hours a day to get the soybeans in the ground.
"We work until 3-4 a.m. and get up at 6, then work until 3-4 a.m. get up at 6, sometimes you take a cat nap at the end of the field just to keep going."
From Chopper Five you can finally see activity in the fields.
Farmers all over the state are a good month behind schedule, and Paumen says that's forcing many to change the crops they plant.
"Normal maturity for corn, you are usually planting 100 day corn, or 105 day, but now people are switching to 90 day I've even heard guys going down to 80 day."
Once the crop is in the ground, Paumen says rain is needed because with windy, hot temps in the 90's and 100's, the top soil is drying out and hardening up, and that will make it difficult for the crop to actually push through.
"Every year is stressful, but this is really hard because you know you're losing yield every day, you try as hard as you can, and that's all you can do."
