So it is one of the major decisions farmers need to make, the difficult decision to replant. Due to the hardness of the topsoil after the heavy rains, a crust developed over much of the field that was discussed in the previous post. In addition, the seeds planted in areas with little tile mixed with the cold and damp weather that continued for a week or so after planting the field around April 26-27, didn’t stand a chance.
After some thorough scouting, we decided to replant around 50 acres of the field. It isn’t the most pleasant job to do because you are tearing out some very good plants while preparing the soil bed for new seeds, but we had to weigh the pros and cons. The seed companies pay for 50% of the seed for a replant and crop insurance assists with 45% of the cost. You still end up losing money with labor, but replanting is done in hopes of a better yield, and depending on ones marketing skills, could make up for any losses and may in the end seem like it was never replanted. We are hopeful for that outcome.
