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Drought issues linger heading into 2024 growing season

An eastern Iowa farmer says drought is his biggest concern heading into the 2024 growing season.

Dave Walton tells Brownfield dry soils were a challenge last year. “We spent most of the last year in either a D3 or D4 drought. We haven’t gotten a lot of moisture yet, so the tile lines that are running are running at a below normal pace.”

He says his farm received nearly 25 inches of snow in January, but, “You’re still only talking about two and a half or three inches of actual water in that snow melt. Anything’s going to help, but we need more.”

Walton raises corn and soybeans near Wilton along the Mississippi River.