MONROE - Just west of Albany on Friday, Scott Pfeuti fired up his John Deere for some field work.
The sunshine above him and warm winds sweeping across his field spelled the first bit of relief area farmers have had from rain clouds, and cold for weeks.
And that relief continued into much of the weekend, with Sunny skies and stiff winds Saturday and Sunday. But what a difference a year makes.
"Last year at this time a lot of the corn crop was in by April 15, which is even earlier than normal," said Pfeuti, a 46-year-old family farmer, who annually plants about 2,500 acres, at least 1,000 to 1,500 of those in corn. "This year, we haven't started yet at all - haven't even turned a wheel on the planter."
He's not alone.
Cold, wet weather has delayed spring planting across Wisconsin and, indeed, much of Illinois, Iowa and the rest of the upper Midwest.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service says only 7 percent of spring tillage has been done in the state. That compares with 56 percent at the same time last year and a five-year average of 28 percent.
In Green County, producers are "way behind last year, with only a few hundred acres planted," countywide, said Mark W. Mayer, associate professor and Green County Ag Agent for the UW-Extension's Monroe office.
"We need wind and we need sun," he said. "Bottom line."
This weekend's break in the wet weather might been enough to send homeowners out to mow grass, but for farmers, Mayer said, fields need considerable more time to dry out before planting can begin - otherwise they risk soil compaction, which also can impact yields come harvest time.
Still, he said a carry-over advantage offered by last year's lengthy growing season - beyond beautiful weather and generous yields - was that many farmers were able to harvest and get tillage done for spring, which may give some a small a jump on corn planting if and when the weather breaks.
For his part, Pfeuti says he's not that worried about the late start hurting yields just yet. But farmers like him are looking to the skies for a dry, warm spell.
"With the right weather, we can plant quite a bit in a day," he said, adding that if conditions improve, he could get most or all of his crop in the field in about 10 days.
Mayer said that if corn gets in this week or close to it, there shouldn't be a yield reduction, all things being equal to last year. But after that, each missed day of the growing season can add up.
"Everybody's hoping and waiting," he said. "That's all we can do."
The sunshine above him and warm winds sweeping across his field spelled the first bit of relief area farmers have had from rain clouds, and cold for weeks.
And that relief continued into much of the weekend, with Sunny skies and stiff winds Saturday and Sunday. But what a difference a year makes.
"Last year at this time a lot of the corn crop was in by April 15, which is even earlier than normal," said Pfeuti, a 46-year-old family farmer, who annually plants about 2,500 acres, at least 1,000 to 1,500 of those in corn. "This year, we haven't started yet at all - haven't even turned a wheel on the planter."
He's not alone.
Cold, wet weather has delayed spring planting across Wisconsin and, indeed, much of Illinois, Iowa and the rest of the upper Midwest.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service says only 7 percent of spring tillage has been done in the state. That compares with 56 percent at the same time last year and a five-year average of 28 percent.
In Green County, producers are "way behind last year, with only a few hundred acres planted," countywide, said Mark W. Mayer, associate professor and Green County Ag Agent for the UW-Extension's Monroe office.
"We need wind and we need sun," he said. "Bottom line."
This weekend's break in the wet weather might been enough to send homeowners out to mow grass, but for farmers, Mayer said, fields need considerable more time to dry out before planting can begin - otherwise they risk soil compaction, which also can impact yields come harvest time.
Still, he said a carry-over advantage offered by last year's lengthy growing season - beyond beautiful weather and generous yields - was that many farmers were able to harvest and get tillage done for spring, which may give some a small a jump on corn planting if and when the weather breaks.
For his part, Pfeuti says he's not that worried about the late start hurting yields just yet. But farmers like him are looking to the skies for a dry, warm spell.
"With the right weather, we can plant quite a bit in a day," he said, adding that if conditions improve, he could get most or all of his crop in the field in about 10 days.
Mayer said that if corn gets in this week or close to it, there shouldn't be a yield reduction, all things being equal to last year. But after that, each missed day of the growing season can add up.
"Everybody's hoping and waiting," he said. "That's all we can do."