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Snowpack slows calving and planting seasons in Northwest Minnesota

A northwest Minnesota cow/calf producer is in the heart of calving season.

Shayne Isane of Badger tells Brownfield there’s a lot of snow to contend with.

“But up to this point it’s been fine. These cold nights we’ve been having has caused us to check and be more aware at night, and we don’t want to do that if we don’t have to. And it’s caused a lot more sleepless nights and we’d just as soon get away from that.”

Isane also grows corn, soybeans, wheat, rye grass, and a few other crops and says it will be a while before they can get in the field.

“We’re a ways away here yet. We’ve got a lot of snowpack up here, and central Minnesota and a little ways south still have a lot of snow and expecting more storms this week and even a bigger one next week. So I think the hope is we’ve got to get going on this, get some snow melted.”

Isane, a district director for Minnesota Farm Bureau, is concerned about a repeat of last year when nearly all his acres were planted in June.