News

Making hay in Wisconsin

Some cold mornings may have slowed crop development but they didn’t slow the planters in Wisconsin last week.  The National Ag Statistics Service reports that as of Sunday 93 percent of the state’s corn crop is planted, 19 points ahead of the five-year average and equal to the most ever planted by this date in over 35 years..  69 percent of the corn has emerged compared to 34 percent normally out of the ground by now.  The crop is rated 18 percent fair, 66 percent good and 15 percent excellent.

There were reports of some of the corn getting nipped by frost in Barron and Marathon Counties with a little damage to leaves in Florence County

Soybean planting is 74 percent completed compared to 43 percent for the five-year average and the second-highest amount planted for this date.  35 percent of the beans have emerged, usually 9 percent are up by this date.

Farmers have started to make first-crop hay, 19 percent was cut as of Sunday, 4 points ahead of the five-year average.  Some of those fields are being taken early so they can be plowed-under due to winterkill.

Topsoil moisture is 80 percent adequate to surplus as of Sunday that number will likely increase by next week’s report.