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Threat of poor finish to frustrating growing season in Upper Midwest

A market analyst is concerned about the end of a frustrating growing season for farmers in the Upper Midwest.

Mark Schultz with Minnesota-based Northstar Commodity says corn and soybeans are behind and August has been cooler than normal.

“Which is only going to slow the development of the crop for the short-term. They claim that temperatures will get warmer as we go in (to harvest), I think as a Minnesota farmer right now you certainly don’t want to see a cooler than normal pattern last into the first of September.”

He tells Brownfield farmers in the region are worried about an early frost.

“And quite frankly, I think you’ll just bring in lighter test weight product across the board, that’s what you run the risk. So unfortunately the people in the far Upper Midwest are the ones who are suffering, there’s the only who got the crop (in late). And the nervousness of if the crop will make it.”

But he says in other parts of the Midwest most growers are looking at a very good crop.

Brownfield interviewed Schultz earlier this month at Farmfest in southwest Minnesota.