News

NC Iowa farmer feels fortunate

North-central Iowa farmer April Hemmes says she feels fortunate to have as much of her crop planted as she does, considering the challenges from Mother Nature.

“I finished with corn and got a good start on beans,” Hemmes says. “But the hard part is we haven’t had a day or two days to just go. It’s like you go a day and then you might get rained out the next day.”

Hemmes says she has about 100 acres of beans left to plant.

“When you have no-till beans, it might look nice and dry on top, but it’s kind of mucky underneath. I’m getting really good at cleaning out gauge wheels.”

Like many other farmers, Hemmes was waiting to hear more details of the new trade assistance package from USDA.

“We would rather have the markets than the payments,” she says. “But it will make the banker a lot happier, let me put it that way.”

Hemmes farms near Hampton, Iowa.