SUBMITTED PHOTO - Farmers are facing a possible three-week delay for seeding due to colder weather. Cory Nelson, a farmer near Burdett, says he has hired extra help to assist when seeding can begin.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Farmers say the planting season is up to three weeks behind schedule thanks to colder temperatures and snow still on the ground.
Cory Nelson, who farms near Burdett, says this is the week he would traditionally be seeding but he is now aiming for April 20 to 25.
Mike Hofer, farm manager for the Elkwater Hutterite Colony, says he’d hoped to seed from April 15 but will have to wait two or three weeks. The ground is simply too cold and there is lots of snow that has not melted yet in areas where there have been snowdrifts. This delay is unusual for the Elkwater Hutterite Colony.
“We maybe had it once in 40 years,” said Hofer.
Nelson says the delay means fitting the seeding schedule into a much smaller window of time. He said there are lots of people looking for work at the moment so it was not difficult to find additional help.
“We’ve hired an extra fellow to come on and give us a hand with some of the projects we have this spring,” said Nelson.
On Nelson’s farm there are areas where water has accumulated as a result of melting snow. They are starting to pump that off so the land will be ready for seeding as soon as possible.
“Farmers can adapt pretty well to the weather and we are used to having to wait till things are ready to go … and then put in the hours it takes to do it,” said Nelson.
Hofer is grateful the moisture content in the soil is much better than it was last spring.
“It looks like a good year and commodity prices are fairly good – they’re coming up a little bit,” said Hofer.
Nelson can remember other years where seeding was delayed on his farm all the way into May. A delay like this year’s does not typically affect what he chooses to grow. It would only be if seeding was delayed into May that adjustments would have to be made to the choice of crops. One of the benefits of having a range of crops, most have four or five said Nelson, is the ability to stagger seeding and harvesting. Some require earlier planting and harvesting.
Hofer says they typically stick to the same crops each year even if there is a delay in seeding.
While there are some farmers who have crops that were never harvested in the fall, that does not apply to this region, said Nelson.
At the Elkwater Hutterite Colony they are certainly not standing around waiting for warmer soil.
“We’ve got so much work to do,” said Hofer. “We’re spreading fertilizer right now.”
They have also been taking down old fences, removing old wire and preparing equipment, said Hofer.
“Everything’s in order. We just have to wait for the weather to warm up and we’re gone.”
