This is what they are used to: rain delays. Like many others, two farmers in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan know this all too well.
Fulton County, Ohio, Ohio – Farmers are ready for the planting season. But Mother Nature … not really.
“Every year is different. 2019 was a disaster with a cold wet spring. Many fields were empty because it was almost too late to plant corn and beans,” said Bill Buckenmeier. “This spring? Cool and wet. But still early.”
Buckenmeier is a third-generation farmer. His farms grow corn, soybeans and wheat on more than 4,000 acres in Lucas and Fulton counties, as well as in Lenavi and Hillsdale counties abroad.
“Over the last few years, it seems we haven’t been able to get there as early as before, I don’t know, because of the weather it’s raining a lot now, and it’s been holding us back for a few years lately,” Buckenmeier said.
Nathan Baker came out of Waldron. His Border View Farms cover Lucas, Williams and Hillsdale counties.
Like Buckenmeyer Farms, he is ready to go.
Just waiting for Mother Nature.
“We started planting last week of April, so we’re in that window now,” Nathan Baker said. “I wouldn’t say we’re still behind schedule, but spring is a little cold and the weather will change at any moment.”
Inflation has been a hot topic for everyone. This affects agriculture. Agriculture is usually high risk, high reward, but more this year. In some cases, prices for fuel, seeds and chemicals have risen by 300%.
“Anhydrous is our main source of nitrogen for corn,” Buckenmeier said. – Last year we paid $ 500. Now we make from 16 to 1700 dollars “.
“We spend a lot more dollars per hectare to plant this crop,” Baker said. “And if we have bad weather this summer – drought, floods, whatever; spring 2019, when we just can’t get a harvest – we can still lose a lot.”
The war in Ukraine has also exacerbated the situation. Ukraine is one of the largest grain producers in the world and they feed most of Europe.
This will require crops from the United States and other countries.
