View from the Cab: The hustle of spring

We often hear the phrase “hustle and bustle” during the holiday season but this can be true for planting time as well.

There has been nonstop action on my farm during the past week and I am sure this is the case for most farms in the Midwest this time of year. It is always nice to have that first day under your belt. By day two, the anxiety wears off and we can actually focus on what we are doing.

I have done a little bit of everything in recent days, from hauling seed to planting and mowing. I even worked a little ground and kicked up some dust on those sunny afternoons of late. Give me coffee in the morning, food at lunch and an occasional pop in the afternoon and I am good to go. This is the fuel which keeps my body going during the long days and sleep-deprived nights of April and May.

Honestly, I was surprised more people weren’t out planting last week. Many may have feared forecasted rains, but the heavy rains never really materialized and we had a decent window to start planting the 2017 corn crop. If nice weather sets in for the rest of this month and the first part of May, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a few guys try soybeans in the coming days.

It’s funny how we complain about it being too wet for days on end and when it really dries out, we are hoping for a little shower on the newly planted fields. I guess we can’t have it both ways. I don’t envy the job of meteorologists. They are always taking grief from members of the farming community, especially when a storm system doesn’t materialize and they really mess up the forecast.

Market analysts don’t have it easy either. I couldn’t imagine trying to predict what corn and soybean prices will do in the next day or year. I do know that if I was a psychic I could be pretty good at this market and weather stuff and probably wouldn’t be here today to write about it. Or, maybe I would.

The View from the Cab blog is powered each week by Petersen Motors in Fairbury!