Wierd Spring

Everyone agrees this is a "wierd spring" but we sure had a wierd winter and a wierd, wet, whole last year! It's been pleasant this spring, so I don't mind that part of the wierdness. It is pretty dry across most of the country and I think farmers are "waiting for the other shoe to drop."

No one has rushed to the fields yet here. That is true in most of the country but this report shows it's not true in Illinois:

"Last night crop progress was finally released and it was a surprise. After all
the talk of a fast planting pace for corn, the actual number came in at the
lower end of the expected at 17% (vs. an average 20%, with many
thinking that the pace would be quicker than this). Texas was one the
states most behind for corn, while Illinois was on the fast-track 41%
planted vs. 17% last week (southern Illinois also remains one of the
areas to miss recent rainfall)."

I made a trip to Darke County yesterday and I saw the same except most of Darke County looked more like the Illinois figures. It looked to be about half planted. The soybeans aren't planted yet so some of it could still go to corn or beans. Some farmers are finished, most have planted a little and some have not started. That is not too untypical to most years. The exception here was last year when EVERY planter and drill was in the field the first week of June.

Each year is different and that makes averages and medians nothing more than what they are, just statistical data. They don't tell the whole story but they give clues. It's when those averages move from year to year that is the news.

At least we had plenty of pretty flowers this spring!

Ed