Corn Planting Does Total Turnaround from 2012

Zero Indiana corn planting

What a difference a year makes for farmers who depend on the weather to do their work. This year USDA says statistically no Indiana corn is in the ground. Last year in mid April Indiana corn planting progress was at 21 percent and climbing daily. Some farmers like John Hussey in Tipton County were even further along.

“For the first time in my life I planted a little bit of corn in March a year ago, and I planted quite a bit of corn the first week in April, and at this time a year ago we were half done. But last year was a very unusual year from spring all the way through fall.”

Some Indiana fields are nowhere near ready for planting but Hussey’s fields have drained well and it wouldn’t take long after rains stop for him to get a start.

“If the rain would shut off and we would get some warm weather, sunshine and some breeze, a couple to three days would do a lot. We would have some fields that, in three days, would be probably suitable for planting. I’m talking that Friday, Saturday period we would be going.”

But forecasts for much of the state call for continued rain through Friday.

Mid April is about the average time frame for Hussey to start planting so for now he doesn’t feel as though he is getting a late start.

The Tipton County landscape is different this year so there will be new sites once he does get in those fields, windmills. The Wildcat Wind Farm came online the first of the year in Tipton and Madison Counties.

USDA’s NASS crop progress report Monday showed just 2 percent of the corn planted in the 18 states comprising the regular updates. Illinois and Ohio reported 1 percent planted while Iowa joined the Hoosier state at zero planted.