Before the saturating rains of Sunday and Monday came, area farmers got the break they were looking for to get out into the fields. Thanks to almost two weeks of little to no rain, Rio Creek Feed Mill agronomist Adam Barta predicts about two-thirds to three-quarters of area fields are already planted. That is certainly up from last year at around this time when the United States Department of Agriculture reported that between 20 and 46 percent of fields containing key crops like corn and soybeans were planted. Even with some cold days popping up in the last month, Barta says farmers are much more optimistic this year.

Barta hopes the rain recedes quickly in some fields so farmers can plant if they have not yet and to allow the seeds already in the ground to germinate.