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Iowa farmer makes most of short planting window

A southeast Iowa farmer says he made the most of a small planting window this year.

Mark Jackson grows corn and soybeans in Mahaska County and tells Brownfield conditions didn’t become fit until the second week of May.

“Changed the oil a couple times trying to wait for everything to get ready, and greased the planter multiple times to try to get going. And all of a sudden it opened up and we’ve been working nonstop from a week ago Monday.”

And he finished planting Thursday.

“Moved ahead and a lot of crop went in (and) I think my neighborhood is pretty much the same story.”

Jackson says emergence looks great and to plant corn on a Tuesday and have it up by Saturday “is definitely the weekend dream for any farmer.”