Time almost up for Ogle County Farmers

By Chris Johnson
REPORTER
There are serious concerns that farm families, which have taken to the fields for generations across Ogle County, will be prevented from getting the chance to hang out like they used to and a lot of people are talking about it.
Weather patterns that have brought more than enough rain to keep most area streams such as the Kishwaukee, Rock and Pecatonica Rivers at flood stage or slightly above have prevented many area farmers from getting an early jump on the planting season as a result.
Tributaries, small creeks and even some irrigation canals haven’t had the chance to completely empty their offerings yet. Water stands in fields. Larger volume streams and rivers have remained at levels that discouraged standard drainage practices.
With a short-term weather outlook that calls for somewhat drier conditions through the end of the spring planting season, the decision to move ahead becomes even more imminent for a large percentage of Ogle County’s farmers, the State’s eighth-largest farming collective.
If planting occurs, the weather has to cooperate. “A lot of good things have to happen really quick!” One Winnebago County farmer expressed. Implements will be active and the rush will be on with area roadways expecting plenty of company.
However, if planting doesn’t occur, the impact of the weather-forced, delayed start to the season could still be felt by residents across Ogle County and beyond.
Costs could go up on certain items and local businesses that provide implements, tractors, seeds or services could face reduced growth this farming season.
Ryan, a worker at an Ogle County farm implement outlet said people are talking about the weather and what it’s done to the local agriculture industry a lot these days. “The wet conditions have made things really complicated for a lot of farmers.”
He explained that from Byron to Rochelle and Stillman Valley to Oregon, farms have been impacted and delays are the result. He often finds himself involved in conversations about the reality of a possibly lost season.
“The weather is one of the first things brought up. Everyone is talking about it. Each time it’s the same kind of story. There are a lot of people impacted by how wet things have been and there are a lot of people worried about it.”
Ryan went on to explain that many farmers and family farms have talked about being at the point of having to make an almost “final decision on the 2019 planting season.”
“I would say this issue affects well over 60% of the farmers in our county. It might be even more than that, in fact, I’m almost sure it’s higher than that.”
The decision that has to be made by farmers and farm management companies right now is determining if there is enough time left this season to get anything in the ground, or if the season itself needs to be positioned there.
Currently the Federal Government has set aside monies to bolster the Agriculture Industry. Many area farmers have already inquired into availability. Others are encouraged to go online and plant the correct keystrokes.
The Federal Government’s reach has already been felt by local agricultural goods and services providers. With political positioning at the heart, fees and tariffs against the world’s most populous nation took root. Cost became a greater factor in deciding what could be done to help generate crop and profit from the fields.
Charges and fees tacked onto goods such as soybeans made it more expensive to derive great financial benefit from the local agriculture industry.