BROWNFIELD AG NEWS: Spring Weather is Slowing a South Dakota Farmer
Taylor Sumption farms in Brown County, in Northeastern South Dakota. He tells Brownfield there was a lot of late snow and colder-than-normal temperatures, which has been good for soil moisture but not for fieldwork. “I’m surprised at how much of the snow is soaking in, and there’s not a tremendous amount of water yet, but we’re definitely, I would say, three to four weeks behind normal.”
Sumption says his average planting start is April 20th for corn and April 25th for soybeans, but the recent moisture is delaying planting. “I would say we’re at least ten days to two weeks before getting into any fieldwork.”