It's easy to see planting progress in the Red River Valley. The landscape rolls out flat and nearly uninterrupted, except for the occasional shelterbelt to momentarily break the view.
On May 25, the corn planter and soybean drill were putting the last of the 2023 seeds to soil on Langseth Farm near Barney, North Dakota. Small poofs of dust in the distance indicated neighboring farmers were doing the same. Gravel roads combined with gusty winds to tattle on trucks, seed tenders and tractors moving between fields.
While there are plenty of next steps to manage a crop, planting timely is the first critical step, observed Mike and Chandra Langseth. "Getting planting wrapped up by Memorial Day is always a goal and the fact we are going to make that deadline feels really good," said Chandra. Their farm lies along the southwestern edge of this region, which is not truly a valley, but a floodplain made of an ancient glacial lakebed.
The Langseths are reporting in as part of DTN's View from the Cab series this season. Farmers from two different geographies provide updates on crop progress and other aspects of rural life.
Northwest Missouri farmer Zachary Grossman is also contributing to the series. He had temporarily halted soybean planting last week to wait for rain. The gamble paid off as rain showers materialized and allowed a strong finish to soybean seeding operations on May 23.
"With the warm temperatures we're going to see, I expect to see those beans will come on and catch up fast," said Grossman.
Read on to learn more about why soybeans are rolled by the Langseths and why Grossman will check planting depth settings even closer next year. This week the young farmers, all in their early-to-mid-30s, also talk about living in wide open spaces and how they break away from the farm occasionally to gain perspective.
ZACHARY GROSSMAN: TINA, MISSOURI
There's nothing quite like getting a pop-up shower right after you put the last seeds in the ground to feel you are living right, said Grossman.
This week the farm crew were faced with just 160 acres of soybeans left to plant. Grossman farms with his father, Curt, and brother, Trent.
Source: dtnpf.com
Photo Credit: istock-fotokostic
Categories: Missouri, Crops, North Dakota, Crops