Farmers dealing with opposite challenges one year later

(FOX 9) - Last summer in Wright County, drought conditions forced yields on Dan Glessing’s farm down by about 40% from the year before. 

Now this year, Glessing and many others are worried again, for the opposite reason.

"Last year at this time our crops were all in, they were starting to grow," Glessing told FOX 9.

This year, Glessing is only about 75% of the way done planting corn… and about half-way done with his soybeans. He and many others have been up against tough conditions in the field, after a wet March and cool April that left the soil too cold and too wet for seeding.

"It is the tale of two stories, last year we were to dry, early this spring we are too wet," Glessing said.

As of May 23, Dan is three weeks behind schedule. He normally would start planting on April 25, but this year he was unable to start until May 17; which is concerning because the later he gets his seeds in the ground, the smaller of a yield he can expect come harvest time.

"We’re right up against the deadline on corn so we’re hoping to be done with corn tomorrow," Glessing said.

And that’s not their only problem: "Inflation has affected everything that we’re doing, whether it’s fuel, fertilizer, you name it, everything, the parts, the tires, all of it has gone up probably 30% to 50%," he said.

The Glessing Family Farm has been able to absorb those higher costs, because the commodities they sell are selling for more as well. But they worry about how long that’ll last, and are now even more dependent on their yields this summer, all while Mother Nature proves less than cooperative.

"You do the best you can with what you have," he said. 

At this point, even with perfect conditions from here on out he thinks he’d still end up short about a tenth of his crop.