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Indiana planting pace remains slower than average

Northeast Indiana farmer Carrie Vollmer-Sanders says they’ve planted nothing so far this year.

“We don’t have anything in the ground except for the wheat that we planted last fall,” she says.

Indiana corn and soybean planting progressed slightly last week. Corn is 31 percent planted, compared to 98 percent a year ago and the five-year average of 94 percent.

Soybeans are 17 percent planted, compared to 93 percent a year ago and the five-year average of 80 percent.

Vollmer-Sanders still hopes that she and her husband can plant soybeans if it gets too late for corn.

“As a farmer you always want to get something in the field,” she says. “If you don’t get anything in the field there’s no chance of having any harvest and so I think there’s optimism that we all hold that we’ll be able to get in the field and plant something.”

Indiana winter wheat remained mostly unchanged and is 53 percent good to excellent.

Audio: Carrie Vollmer-Sanders, Indiana farmer