DOVER, Minn. —
Corn and
soybeans have emerged from the soil on southeast Minnesota farmland.
USDA's crop progress report released on May 27 showed that 97% of corn in Minnesota had been planted, with 78% emerging. Meanwhile, 91% of soybeans in Minnesota had been planted, with 56% emerging. Both crops were well ahead of the average planting and emergence time frame.
Ben Storm farms corn, soybeans and a little bit of barley in Dover, Minnesota, in the southeast corner of the state. Storm said he finished planting on May 15 this year.
"I would say for the most part, farmers in the area are done planting," said Storm, who farms around 1,200 acres altogether, on May 27. "I planted all of my corn in about a week."
He said that's close to within the ideal planting timeframe.
"We would have preferred to start a little earlier than we did," Storm said. "Typically, the end of April, first of May, would have been ideal, but a week behind is not a big deal."
Soil conditions were solid throughout planting season for the region, according to the University of Minnesota Southern Research & Outreach Center in Waseca. The center's May 21 report concluded that area farmers had reached the "light at the end of the tunnel," with many growers finishing up planting after a couple inches of rain fell in the middle of the week.
Storm, who serves as treasurer for the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council, said he was happy to have been done before the rain fell.
"On the 16th, 17th, we got some nice rains, and it was kind of an all-day nice rain," he said. "It wasn't a fast, hard rain that caused any washing issues or anything like that, so it was kind of a perfect rain for the time of the year."
A bit more moisture would be ideal, Storm said, but he'll take what we get.
"I would say, overall, we're in decent shape," he said. "But I wouldn't turn down a nice rain at this point in the year."