A Very Tough Year for Farmers
Tuesday, December 17th, 2019 -- 10:22 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Each December, the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service issues a final crop report highlighting the trends of the past growing season.This week, the agency noted that 2019 was a challenging one from the start, with topsoil moisture rated at 48 percent surplus on March 31, followed by below normal temperatures and frequent rain events in the weeks leading up to the planting season. Overwintered crops were damaged by ice storms in January and February, followed by spring flooding and multiple freeze-thaw cycles in March, April and May. That was coupled with another major April snowstorm that caused buildings to collapse and fieldwork to be delayed even further. The planting progress dragged on past crop insurance cut off dates in late June with many acres of prevented plantings reported. Poor quantity and quality of hay and pasture kept forage supplies tight through the spring and summer. July brought heat and more rain, with west central and southwest parts of the state receiving more precipitation than elsewhere. Wet conditions hampered haying and spraying, and there was some severe weather damage to crops mid-month. Drier conditions during August let farmers catch up on spraying, make hay and harvest small grains. However, below-normal temperatures meant crop development remained one to two weeks behind average.
Frequent rains resumed during September, with southern and eastern portions of the state receiving more rain than the west and north. Deep mud and high grain moistures delayed the start of fall fieldwork, and remained major problems throughout the rest of the year. The first frost held off until the week ending October 28, allowing late planted crops more time to mature. Only days later, temperatures plunged into the teens and a Halloween snowstorm dumped up to eight inches of snow across southern Wisconsin. Below average temperatures in early November helped firm the ground, improving access to muddy fields but stalling fall tillage. But even more snow in November kept grain moistures unusually high, prompting some farmers to delay harvest even further. The statewide precipitation total for April through September was 29.09 inches. That's compared to 27.35 inches the previous year and a normal of 22.43 inches.
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