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 20^th for corn and April 25^th 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.”