It’s been a frustrating spring for southwest Idaho farmers. Abnormal weather has been causing problems and delaying planting for many of those who grow sugar beets, onions and other crops.
Canyon County Extension agent Jerry Neufeld says the constant spring rain has really slowed the process down. Farmers who normally have all their spring planting done by now are seeing their workload start to backup.
"Onions and sugar beets are the big ones right now, growers are trying to finish them up," Neufeld says. "In a normal year they would be done by now, but there's probably, oh I don't know, maybe 10 or 15-20 percent left to plant on those crops."
There’s no doubt the rains will stop sometime soon and the fields will be planted, but Neufeld says a shorter growing season may affect crop yields at harvest time.
"There’s so many things that can go right or can go wrong between now and harvest," he says. "The weather, hot temperatures, rain."
For now farmers are watching the skies, checking the forecast on their smartphones and fighting the eternal battle between the clock and mother nature
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