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Extreme temperature shift has Illinois farmer gearing up for spring

After temperatures shifted from single digits up to 50 degrees in less than 10 days, an east central Illinois farmer has his sights set on spring.

“Just very few days ago we were dressed like Eskimos and I am sitting here now in just a long-sleeved shirt and I am hot.”

Dirk Rice tells Brownfield it can be hard to stay motivated during dreary winter weather, but warmer temperatures have jump started his preparation for planting season.

“Boy, you get some warm sunny days and that kicks it up two gears. Don’t get between us and the machine shed because things are going to start moving!”

But he says it is going to take a little while for fields to dry.

“We had almost a foot of snow a little over a week ago and now it is all melting at once. My farm looks like I am at the base of the Rocky Mountains or something there is all this snow melt running through it.”

Rice, who serves as chairman on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, says overall they have had a pretty mild winter.