United Group Insurance

Farmers who can’t plant wet fields mull options

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

June 3rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University Extension has been hosting meetings for farmers with soggy fields who have to make decisions about delayed planting. Gentry Sorenson is a field agronomist with I-S-U Extension who’s based in northwest Iowa. “The last time we had some delayed planting workshops was 2019,” Sorenson says, “so it’s been a few years.” Workshops were held in Spencer, Spirit Lake and Emmetsburg last week.

“Workshops designed to help them kind of go through some of the options,” Sorenson says, “and also hear from a crop insurance agent on some of the deadlines that are out there.” According to the National Weather Service, nearly seven inches of rain fell late last week in the small northwest Iowa community of Cleghorn — just a few days after torrential rains in places like Storm Lake and Aurelia.