Farmers in Door and Kewaunee counties are getting closer to spending long days in their fields again as the weather outlook improves. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s latest Crop Progress and Condition Report, the days suitable for fieldwork nearly doubled from 1.7 the week before to 3.3 last week. While some fields around the state were either too wet or still had frost in the ground, others were good enough to allow for spring tillage, manure and fertilizer application, and even some planting. Field activities like oat planting (two days behind last year, three days behind average) and spring tillage (three days behind last year, two days behind the average) are just a few days behind the pace. Kewaunee County farmer Kevin Swagel is happy to see his cover crops grow after the slow start. Farming a few hundred acres and supporting over 50 head of beef cattle, Swagel says he has been planting cover crops like winter wheat for nearly two decades. With some costs like fuel and fertilizer going up, Swagel is happy with the benefits cover crops provide to his operation.

The winter wheat condition took a small step backward over the past week, with 92 percent of the crop rated as fair to excellent, compared to 93 the week before. Swagel will be the host farm for next Tuesday’s Peninsula Pride Farms Conservation Conversation. You can find more details about the event here.