Corn Planting Reaches Halfway Point

When Mother Nature cooperates, farmers can really make the dirt fly!

Corn planting hit record levels last week all over the country, reaching the half way point by Sunday – over twice the five year average for this time of year, according to USDA. Every single state, except Colorado, is well above average right now. Some notables – Illinois at 73 percent compared to 28 percent normal, Iowa at 68 percent compared to 23 percent, and Minnesota at 63 percent compared to 16 percent. Even North Dakota made incredible progress – planting 28 percent in a week!

The already planted corn is starting to pop up, just a little above normal at seven percent nationwide. Kelly Robertson of Illinois, who did the planting video we featured here last week, took this photo of the corn he planted on April 13 already emerging. Ten percent of the corn in Illinois is emerging, compared to six percent average and zero last year.

Things may slow down a bit this week after some pretty heavy rains around the corn belt in the last several days. It is cool and wet again, but the rain was needed and hopefully it will dry out and clear up so this record pace can continue.