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SW Iowa conditions ‘a hundred percent better than last year’

Southwest Iowa farmer Duane Aistrope says they have about a third of their corn crop planted so far. 

Weekend rains slowed them down, but Aistrope says conditions are still “a hundred percent better than last year”.

“We were rolling right along until the rains came the last three days,” he says. “Kind of slowed us down but were not complaining. Beautiful subsoil moisture, ideal planting conditions—nothing to complain about here, whatsoever.”

Aistrope says they’re sticking with their 50/50 rotation of corn and soybeans, even though their breakeven level on corn is well below the current price.

“Right now, we’re going to lose—just rough figures I’ve tried to plug in—roughly around 20 to 30 dollars an acre, right at the moment.”

The Aistropes also have a cow-calf operation.  They farm near Randolph, Iowa.