Weather challenges disrupt 2024 planting plans from Arkansas to South Dakota

XtremeAg farmers around the country face early season weather obstacles to starting the growing season.

Matt Miles - McGehee, Arkansas

Matt Miles is a fourth-generation farmer in southeast Arkansas. Miles farms 3,500 acres of corn, 3,500 acres of soybeans, 1,500 acres of cotton, and 1,500 acres of rice.

If you look up the word hydroponics, you’ll find it is the art of growing plants with water in the absence of soil. It is a pretty cool system for small scale, but I am large scale, so I’m telling people we are growing a new style: hydrosoilphonics. Would that make us hybrid hydroponics growers? I think it does.

Although I am joking for the most part, in the back of my mind it definitely seems that way! We are 7 to 10 inches above normal rain fall year to date. We have worked one weekend in the 2024 crop. Someone said, “That’s awesome” and I replied, “Absolutely not!” I don’t want to try to figure out if I’m working Sunday and going against what my dad told me: “The Bible says to rest on Sunday.”

In past years, I have whined about wet springs. I guess I complained too much, because I thought we had been through some pretty wet springs, but his year proved me wrong. When the guys 500 to 800 miles north of me finish planting before we do and I have to replant over 30% of my corn crop, there’s definitely something wrong.

Other that the replanting of the corn, we actually don’t look that bad as a whole. We still need a few more acres before we can say we are finished, but all in all, what we have done looks pretty decent. One of the most important things we do is strive to have enough equipment and labor for the worst-case scenarios. The cost vs. the risk seem to work out for us each year, especially when we have adverse weather. The main thing concerning me now is the amount of cloudy weather we have had on the emerged crops. We also worry about the wet soil, but the days without sunshine are possibly more important. We are definitely not set up for any kind of record yields this year, but hopefully we get a decent crop in the end.

Temple Rhodes - Centreville, Maryland

Temple Rhodes is a fifth-generation farmer in Centreville, Maryland. Chestnut Manor Farms operates 3,000 acres of soybeans, 1,500 acres of corn, and 1,500 acres of wheat. His family also runs a hunting operation.

Planting Conditions have sure changed quickly in our area. 

Forty-five days ago, we were all worried whether or not it would ever dry up enough to get in the field, but conditions across the Mid-Atlantic region have completely flip flopped. The hot weather with heavy winds has dried out much of the moisture causing planting conditions to be very difficult for many farmers. Some planters are running a maximum pressure in no till just to get soybeans in ¾-inch deep. Seems like guys have planted soybeans first and are waiting for the perfect window to drop corn. 

Some guys with vertical tilled ground are now delaying planting because the moisture is just not there. The folks that started planting as soon as they could get in the fields, even though it was almost too wet and cold, are looking pretty good at this point. Sometimes it’s hard to risk the weather and plant, knowing you could wait until things seem perfect, especially on a year like this with inputs still high and markets low.

Lee Lubbers - Gregory, South Dakota

Lee Lubbers is a fourth-generation farmer in Gregory, South Dakota. Lubbers Farms includes more than 17,000 acres of dryland soybeans, corn, and wheat. Lubbers says he is always trying to learn and challenge himself.

In early March, we had 70° to 80°F days. Now we are lucky to crack 55°F or see the sun much. It has also turned wetter over the last month. The last two rains gave us 4 inches, give or take, in our area. More is on the way! We are also expected to have frost some mornings in early May. 

We haven’t planted anything yet. There’s no sense in trying to fight Mother Nature. When conditions cooperate, we will begin planting corn and soybeans.

In the mean time, we’ve been working on smaller projects and staying plenty busy. We have been pulling old fence out, waxing the combine, etc. We never have to look too hard for something to do around here. 

We are still hauling corn. Focusing on our main bin sites with the best gravel to haul while it’s wetter. We are trying to spray our winter wheat by plane now. We booked it a week ago, but wind, rain, and frost have been keeping that from happening yet. We are still getting a few of the last products for the season delivered in as well. Before we know it, it will warm up nicely, dry out, and it will be go time!

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