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Southern Illinois farmer ready and waiting

A southern Illinois farmer is ready and waiting for the start of the planting season.

Matt Raben, who grows corn and soybeans in White County, says he just needs the weather to change.  

“We’re ready to go.”  He says, “Everything looks good, you know, plenty of soil moisture down my way. Some of the anhydrous has been put on. So yeah, we’re right on schedule. Hopefully it’ll dry out and give us a window to get some of the corn planted.”

He tells Brownfield, “We’re getting there, but we’re not quite there in the planting window just yet. I would say as soon as it dries out here and warms up, we’ll start in the field.”

Raben says forecasts calling for nearly of foot of rain in some areas of southern Illinois by this weekend are concerning, but he says it’s still early in the spring, so it’s not likely to alter his planting intentions.

AUDIO: Matt Raben – Illinois farmer