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Farmer discusses plans, challenges for the upcoming growing season

East Central Iowa farmer David Walton says he may tweak this year’s crop rotation because of record input prices.  

“Inputs have a big effect this year and fertilizer prices are a big deal so we may switch a few acres back to soybeans over corn to save a little bit on the input side,” he says. “Right now, corn pencils out pretty well so it’s going to be a tough decision, but we look at that from time to time and usually around the first of March we’ll nail that down.”

Walton tells Brownfield availably of herbicides is another concern.

“It looks like most of that is getting sorted out but there are going to be some guys out there that don’t get what they need and that’s always a concern from an industry standpoint,” he says. “The chemical companies that I’ve been talking to say it’s not necessarily the chemistry but some of the ancillary things—packaging, transport, carboard boxes, and other things like that they can’t get. They could put chemistry out but don’t have the packaging to deliver it. The pandemic has uncovered a lot of things in our infrastructure that we didn’t realize were an issue until now.”

He says he’s hopeful some of the supply chain issues will be alleviated.

“I think as we learn lessons from 2020 and 2021, we’re going to move to 2022 and 2023 and hopefully work through those issues and clear things out,” he says.

Walton raises cattle, sheep, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and grass hay in Wilton, Iowa.