Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says after this blast of wintry weather, Iowa farmers will have to wait until their fields dry out and warm up before they resume spring planting.
“A month ago, we thought we were going to have a dry year,” Northey says. “…Then we had the wettest April in 140-plus year, so it’s crazy.”
But Northey says there’s no cause for panic — yet.
“Folks have tools on their farms. They have tractors set up with GPS to be able to plant all night when the conditions get right again,” Northey says. “We’re going to want to get this corn in as quickly as we can once the conditions turn around.”
Northey says it “certainly feels like” the drought is over. Northey made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight at 7:30 on Iowa Public Television.
Northey intends to plant 300 acres of corn and 300 acres of soybeans on his farm near Spirit Lake — after the snow melts and subsoil temperatures rise.