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BENTON AG
PHOTO BY ANNA HINKEMEYER
Dave Scapanski tills a field in rural Benton County April 27. Scapanski farms with his sons, Brad and Chad, on Scapanski Farms LLC, a 230cow dairy with 1,000 acres.
Plus
Sauk Rapids Herald | Saturday, May 2, 2020
Help available for farmers’ mental health
The Business of Farming
by Roger Strom
Farming is a tough business, and with the novel coronavirus spreading through rural areas, stress is at an all time high. Spring planting is demanding enough, but this year, farmers are putting a crop in the ground with no idea what state the world will be in when it is time to harvest. What will be the financial impact? And, will the pandemic threaten their ability to hang onto the land, animals and resources needed to keep farming? It is a lot to deal with, and it can take a toll in the form of depression and in Strom page 2B
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Jon Hansmeier levels a field April 30 southeast of Foley. Hansmeier finished planting soybean Thursday and will have all his crops in the ground in early May.
A season worth remembering Crop farmers get a break in the weather after several wet springs BY NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
FOLEY – April 19, 2012, is a date that sticks out in Jon Hansmeier’s memory. It was the last time he planted crops in April. That changed this spring, and the Foley farmer is adding another date to his list: April 30. Hansmeier, who plants 640 acres of mostly corn and soybean southeast of Foley, finished planting his beans Thursday. His first date sowing seed corn this
season was April 22. With a small amount of corn yet to be planted, Hansmeier expects to have all his crops in the ground by next week. “It’s really nice; a huge improvement over last year,” said Hansmeier who has farmed for over 40 years. “It’s been a wonderful spring. It’s just been on the cool side; we could use more heat.” Mother nature has been compliant with Hansmeier’s request. According to the National Weather Service, Thursday warmed to 68 degrees in the
St. Cloud area, and Saturday, May 2, is expected to be sunny with a high of 71. The mostly dry and warm stretch of weather has proved satisfactory for many growers in the region. Mid-April storms have been common in Benton County the last two years. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the county was doused with 4 to 9 inches of snow April 10-12, 2019, and with 4 to 6 inches April 13-16, 2018. Given the drastic difference in weather, Nathan Drewitz said the planting seasons cannot be compared. “We could be done planting within the first week of May
which is just insane because the last couple of planting seasons, it’s been mid-May, end of May. Last year, guys were still planting in June and July,” Drewitz said. “And so, there’s zero comparison to the last couple years. This has been an exceptional planting season.” Drewitz is a University of Minnesota Extension Educator specializing in crops and agriculture production systems for Benton, Stearns and Morrison counties. He said that by the end of next week, May 9, he expects 100% of corn and 60% or more of soybean to be planted Spring page 2B
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