2017 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 4 Oct. 25, 2017 2017 Logan County Fall Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS E ach fall, farmers reap what was sown in the spring. The spring brought the usual challenges of temperature fluctuations and rainfall. The running joke for a while was the best spring month was February. We saw very warm temperatures in February, with cooler than normal temperatures in the month of April. Then ups and downs occurred during the rest of the growing season. My rain gauge had 16 days of some reportable rain in April, another 13 days in May, followed by only seven in June. Of course many of these readings were not large, but served to cause some delays in planting during the prime planting dates. My rainfall accumulations were 4.79 inches in April, 3.47 in May, and only 1.31 inches in June. This dry period lasted through the summer months into October. Then rains began again as harvest was in mid-swing. With extremely dry, to drought conditions, registered for our area from June through September, we are being blessed with harvesting some very good crops. The combination of “spoon feeding” moisture at the right time, and the moderate temperatures during the driest periods, have resulted in reaping a harvest better than many anticipated. Many doubted the USDA numbers until combines started rolling in the fields. The production being achieved is a testament to producer By John Fulton Continued ►► “Analysis of the 2017 Season”