Local farmers hope for good season

EMINGTON – It can be difficult to get spring fever when temperatures are cool and snowflakes are flying, but area growers are hopeful for another successful season.

Livingston County Farm Bureau president and farmer Jason Bunting says many planters and field cultivators in his area are prepared to hit the fields once the weather cooperates.

“We have about 60 acres of alfalfa to put out,” Bunting told The Central Illinois Farm Network last week. “Once we get that done, we’ll kind of gear the corn planters up and get them rolling.”

Kent Blunier farms near Forrest and also serves as president of the Livingston County Corn Growers Association. Prior to the late March snow and rain event, his farm was in good shape.

“We got the planter out and we’ve got some equipment that we are maintaining, getting it ready to go.”

On the livestock side of things, Blunier said his pigs are now in the “cruising” stage so they are easier to take care of at this point. The Bluniers had younger pigs at the beginning of February.