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Abundant moisture too much for many Minnesota farm fields

Many farm fields in the Upper Midwest are overwhelmed by astounding amounts of water.

Darin Johnson farms in Faribault County and says a year’s worth of rain has fallen in less than three weeks.

“We’re in that 20-plus inch range, and you know for every inch of rain it’s 27,000 gallons of water per acre. And then you equate that out to an 80-acre field, that’s 2.2 million gallons for 1 inch (of rain).”

He tells Brownfield it does appear the water is leveling off.

“Good thing is I think we crested here yesterday where we’re at, so the water is starting to go down. So if mother nature gives us a little bit of reprieve we’re going to lose quite a few drowned out spots. But it’s just part of farming, sometimes (mother nature) also taketh away.”

The new president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association says many farmers have replanted more than once but he doesn’t anticipate a lot of prevent plant acres in his part of the state.