Browns Valley, Minnesota farmer Bob Metz said farmers across west-central Minnesota and northeast South Dakota pushed hard to catch up after a delayed start to planting. “You could look at midnight and still see a lot of tractors running,” Metz said. “Everybody pushed hard.” Metz said recent rainfall should help activate pre-emerge herbicides and improve crop conditions. However, soaring fertilizer prices influenced planting decisions for some growers. “There’s definitely a little tilt toward more soybean acres, especially for guys that didn’t have fertilizer locked in,” Metz said. “It’s outrageously expensive if you’re paying today’s prices.”
