Local ag community getting ready for spring planting

Posted March 1, 2017 at 10:25 am

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by Bree Boils, FFA Intern Reporter

Spring is just around the corner and farmers in Clinton County are already starting to get ready for the planting season.

Colby Guffey, Ag and Natural Resources Agent with the Clinton County Extension Office, said this growing season could be good for local farmers.

“Farmers have already started getting ready for the spring planting season during the winter by securing inputs,” Guffey said. “Growing season will start around the middle to late April and follow throughout the summer.”

This time of year farmers are preparing for spring crops by testing soil samples. Soil samples are very important in determining what crops farmers will plant and when they will plant different crops.

“This time of year a lot of producers are thinking about soil sampling to help get ready for spring fertilizing,” Guffey said. “The soil conservation funds have allowed the Extension Office to have three free soil samples per producer, anything over three will be $7 per sample.”

Even with the late drought of 2016, farmers are not only worried about their spring crops, but their winter wheat crops have been affected.

“The drought has caused fall seeding to have many failures and affected the winter wheat a little. Many producers have been thinking about reseeding, which will cost them to bring the pastures back to what they need to be for them to reseed,” Guffey said. “Catching up on the moisture level throughout the winter and will allow the spring growing season to do alright this year.”

The 2016 weather patterns have also affected cattle farmers in Clinton County by having to feed hay early in the year.

“A drought hit around the fall of 2016 and hurt the cow/calf industry because they had to start stretching the harvested hay supply out and had to start feeding supplemental feeds just to get to spring growing season,” Guffey said.

Guffey states that lower prices for cattle came quicker than expected for the producers.

“Commodities for cattle production are cheaper today,” Guffey said. “I believe numbers have rebounded from a couple of years ago from the beef cow/calf producing states.”

Although numbers have rebounded during the past couple of years, cattle farmers have to be worried about sickness in their heard.

“Fall calves are off and growing, and the mixture of cold and warm weather has caused a lot of sickness for the cow/calf producers,” Guffey said. “Spring calving season starts around late February into March.”

For anymore information about planting seasons or soil sampling you can contact Guffey at the Clinton County Ag Extension Office at 606-387-5404.