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Cooler weather dampening planting prospects

Cooler weather and a little precipitation have slowed down activity in midwestern fields.

Central Illinois farmer Derek Martin tells Brownfield any moisture is welcome…

“We were dry last fall, barely got any snow or any rain over the winter, and definitely excited to see the rain,” he says.

He says they’ve been busy preparing for planting season…

“We were working on the planters, updating them, making sure everything works.”  He says, “We’ve been working on machinery, working a little bit of ground where it needs to be worked. We’re also currently in just the beginning of a tile project.”

Now, it’s all about temperature…

“Right now, we’re just waiting on temperatures and if you look at the forecast, I think by the 14th or 15^th (of April), you’re starting to see some 70’s and 50’s or 70’s and high 40’s and that’s what we’re looking for.”  He says, “We don’t want to start in those cold conditions and let that seed sit there.”

Martin plans to plant soybeans first, before moving to corn.  A practice he says has paid off in recent years.

AUDIO: Derek Martin – Logan County, IL farmer