Staff photo by Fritz Busch A farmer uses a 36-row planter, west of Highway 15, about a mile north of New Ulm Tuesday. A number of farmers say conditions are good to start spring planting.

NEW ULM — Its just the middle of April, but Spring planting season has begun for many farmers in and around Brown County.

Sleepy Eye farmer Mark Portner was busy planting south of Sleepy Eye Wednesday under sunshine that warmed the temperature reached 70 degrees.

“The dust is flying, but I think conditions are good for planting. It’s dry, but it’s not mucky in the field. I’m busy planting beans. It’s one of the earliest times I’ve started planting. The ground is fit. It’s time to go. Lots of neighbors are out planting,” said Portner from his tractor cab.

He said about 90% of the ground looks fit to plant.

“We’re planting into moisture. After planting, we’ll just have to wait to see if Mother Nature cooperates with moisture and heat,” said Portner.

Out in Lake Benton, near the South Dakota border, Bob Worth was planting corn.

“It’s so dry. Wow! It’s probably the dryest conditions we’ve planted in for quite a while. The wind is drying out our ground. We are forecast to get rain around Thursday noon, so I’m busy trying to finish planting before that. First corn, then soybeans,” said Worth.

He said he just started planting Wednesday.

“It doesn’t take long anymore. It’s not like it was when I started farming. We’d plant 40 acres in a day and thought it was a big day. Now I plant 40 acres in an hour with a 24-row planter,” said Worth.

Wayne Schoper of New Ulm, who taught farm business management at South Central College in North Mankato and does consulting work these days, said a few 70-degree days will warm soil temperatures quickly.

“Each farmer has their own philosophy. I think beans do better when they’re planted early. They can use a longer growing season. We’ve had some decent moisture for planting. A little more won’t hurt. It’s a great time of year. We don’t have great prices, but there is optimism,” said Schoper.

The April Minnesota weather outlook generally favors above normal temperatures and near normal to above normal precipitation. Many state farmers plan to plant corn before May 1, according to the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership.

For more information, visit https://blog-weathertalk.extension.umn.edu/