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Upper Midwest drought zone east of Interstate 35

Large sections of Iowa and Minnesota have been hit hard by drought.

Northern Country Cooperative CEO Jason Schwenneker says the co-op operates mostly east of Interstate 35 from Cedar Rapids to Rochester.

“We’re worried, yes. We’re in a very affected area where our whole trade territory, we’re going to have a lot of ups and downs.”

He tells Brownfield he recently visited with a farmer who harvested corn and saw yields range from 40 bushels an acre to 230 in the same field.

“Just back and forth the whole way, and so soil types really matter this year in these really, really dry areas. And your fertility programs really, really matter. But we’re going to be hit in a tough spot this year.”

Schwenneker says lower yields will result in less revenue for farmers and fewer bushels for the cooperative to market.