SD Corn

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Congratulations to all of the high school and college graduates! In this week’s Corn Comments Podcast, Jim Woster sends best wishes to the many young men and women who are moving on to the next stage of their professional and academic careers.

Summer is nearly here and so is the South Dakota Corn Cob Open. There will be a morning and afternoon flight with a meal and prizes to follow each round. Slots are filling up fast so call the office today at 605-334-0100 to reserve yours.

As farmers, the state National Resources Conservation Service and independent consultants continue to work together to protect natural resources while improving farm land potential, a gigantic backlog of wetland determinations remain in South Dakota.

(A quick background on this issue: In order for land owners to perform drainage activity, they must first have Wetland Determination done by an NRCS official in order to comply with the Federal Farm Program. This is called Conservation Compliance, which ensures that wetlands are protected and Farm Program eligibility remains.)

There has been a focus on ways to improve and expedite the Wetland Determination process from both the NRCS and commodity organizations during the past couple of years. Two examples would be the temporary NRCS hires and active independent consultants. While the number of processed determinations has increased, the demand continues to grow as farmers seek to improve their land with the numerous economic and environmental benefits that drainage can provide.

With the last update on the backlog from the NRCS in February, South Dakota’s total far outweighs that of other states with a whopping 3,175. Other totals from states in the Prairie Pothole Region include Minnesota with 1,889, North Dakota with 1,592 and Iowa with only 203.

A backlog update from the last South Dakota State Technical Committee meeting in March had shown 1,173 determinations were completed during the last four months prior to the meeting, but during that same time they had received an additional 1,174 applications. No doubt this inability to make progress on the backlog is frustrating for all parties involved and further attention to possible solutions is increasingly necessary.

“Farmers have a right to know what is happening with the process so they can follow the rules and do the right thing,” noted South Dakota Corn Growers Association president Mark Gross. “Some farmers have been stalemated from investing in their own land for over two years because of the lengthy backlog in which they have no control over. That’s a genuine problem and those folks deserve answers.”

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Don’t forget folks, this coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. South Dakota Corn would like to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there. In this week’s Corn Comments, Woster reflects on the important role that moms play in the family and the growing role that mothers now play on the farm.

Just a reminder, slots are filling up fast for the 22nd annual Corn Cob Open. Call the office today at 605-334-0100 to make sure you get your team signed up. There will be a morning and afternoon flight with a bountiful meal and great prizes to follow each round.

By the way, its always a great day to stand up for corn. Make sure you are a member of South Dakota’s most active commodity organization.

These South Dakota farmers have started planting the next crop of food, feed, fuel and fiber.

You can follow the planting progress on Twitter with the hashtag: #plant13

Corn Comments Podcast with Jim Woster.

Did you know that Jim Woster can text? Don’t laugh, it’s a big step into the technology world for an old stockyards guy. In this week’s Corn Comments Podcast, Woster talks about the growing influence that social media has in our world. Throughout the web South Dakota Corn is at the table when it comes to discussion about corn, ethanol, biotechnology, water, farming practices and the environment, and we hope that you’ll join us. You can connect with us through the following media…

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With the recent snow, sleet, ice and altogether blast of cold weather, row crop planting has been delayed in South Dakota. When it comes to planting corn, this lack of progress put our state at 7% behind last year and 4% behind the 5-year average. When exactly farmers will begin planting we don’t know, but let’s not worry just yet as there is always reason for hope

Thanks to new precision technologies, farming practices and bigger equipment, farmers are able to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Just how fast can farmers plant their crops once the conditions are right? Let’s look at the past five years to see what kind of progress is possible once tractors get rolling.

In 2012, South Dakota corn farmers had planted 2.9 million acres by the first week of May and an incredible 5.2 million acres in a matter of just 4 weeks time.

Two years ago in 2011, during the third week of May, farmers planted 1.5 million acres of corn. In that same year, farmers were able to plant 4.3 million acres in the month of May.

Back in 2009, farmers planted 2.65 million acres during the middle two weeks of May.  And five years ago, in 2008 during those same two weeks, farmers planted a whopping 2.75 million acres of corn.

This year, South Dakota farmers are expected to plant 5.9 million acres of corn and having short windows due to volatile weather is nothing new in the Northern Plains. Once the conditions are right, our farmers have demonstrated that they have the necessary tools and ability to make sure the acres are covered and all of the seeds are sown.

Let’s just hope that spring has finally sprung.