By Kevin Schulz
The Land Editor
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I'm always amazed at how Mother Nature works.
She gave us a winter for the ages, with so much snow that we practically had a snow-tunnel for a sidewalk to our house. I kidded my family that at that rate we would need to have snow shovels and blowers at the ready for my daughter's June graduation reception.
Predictions of 20 to 30 inches of snow in March almost made me seek a nice cave to go into hibernation. The last thing I wanted to see, feel, smell or hear was more snow. As we know, the March prediction never came to be, and not only did we not get any more of the white stuff not to be mentioned here in March, but the banks, drifts and tunnels of the nasty stuff disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
Thoughts of a late spring, added to last year's messy fall, quickly turned to great progress of hitting the fields in fine time. According to the weekly crop progress report issued April 19 by the Minnesota field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service, the state's farmers had planted 13 percent of their corn crop as of April 18. In 2009 by that date, none of the corn crop had been planted, and the five-year average was at 1 percent.
The May 3 report shows even more progress: Minnesota farmers had now planted 87 percent of their corn crop as of May 2, outdistancing 2009's 56 percent, and 41 percent for the five-year average.
I would have been picking you out a nice white jacket with extra buckles if only a month ago you had told me that the 2010 planting progress would be that far ahead of 2009 and the past five years.
As we learn year in and year out, just getting the seed in the ground is only one part of getting it in the bin. All too many years we have seen a spring freeze, heavy rains, wind and hail nullify a good crop.
The memory of last fall also offers a slap of reality that nothing is in the bin, until it's in the bin. It had been a long time since some producers were talking in terms of a spring harvest.
The start of another growing season, brings a new version of "From the Fields. A turn to pages 5-9 will introduce you to three families you'll get to know through this year's growing season - Bennie and Brittany Holtz of Little Falls, Jim and Jill Willers of Beaver Creek and Jason and Kim Kieser of Winsted.
Enjoy the spring, summer
Nice spring weather has made it real nice for getting the crop in in most parts of the state. When you weren't planting, hopefully you were able to enjoy some of the pleasant weather.
To me spring has arrived when, after a long workday, I'm on my patio with my favorite cold one and I'm grilling some nice, juicy, meaty meal.
I am a proud carnivore, and what better way to celebrate spring and May (which is Beef Month), than by grilling up a ribeye, T-bone or good ol' patties for the family. I will admit, my family prefers when my wife grills the patties, and I stick to the steaks. Something about me making them crispy.
That's fine; that gives me more time to enjoy my cold one, spring and the view without all of that white stuff not to be mentioned here.
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Kevin Schulz is the editor of The Land. He may be reached at editor@thelandonline.com.
