Posted: 04.19.2011

The hardest part about this spring for many Wisconsin farmers are the vivid memories they have of last spring - and all the work they'd already completed by April 19th.  This year is back to more traditional patterns.

The latest update from the Wisconsin Ag Statistical Service showed only 6 percent of the states spring tillage work had been completed and that only 10 percent of the oat crop was in.  Last year at this time the state had more then 36 percent of the field work completed and more then 54 percent of the oats already in the ground.

Now there are some areas of the state that are rolling forward.  Randy Braden, Pioneer Seed representative from Milton told Pam Jahnke that he's seen some corn planted over the past 5 days.  Braden says where the soil is dry enough for a good seedbed, farmers are doing their best to capitalize on the opportunity.

Because of the cool, wet weather, many reporters said it was too early to judge whether winter wheat and alfalfa made it through the winter without damage.

The Wisconsin Ag Statistical Service said that despite the cool, wet weather, most of the states maple sugar producers had shut down in anticipation of changing weather.  The 2011 maple syrup crop was getting mixed ratings from growers across the state.

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