By Brad Barth, Board Chairman
A typical greeting from residents in the north country would go like this, “Greetings from the frozen north.” But this year it is, “Greetings from the super wet north.” As always in our profession, there are weather challenges all over our great state. This year is no exception. I have a few friends whose fields flooded so bad this spring they may not be able to seed much at all this year.
Normally, in northern Minnesota we seed our corn and wheat and then we go fishing and return to put in our soybeans. Well opening fishing has come and gone, and we are still maybe only half done with wheat. Things just got rolling here when we received three-plus inches of rain, which will set us back another week.
Lake of the Woods, on our northern border, is experiencing flooding not seen since 1950. I have heard of a threat from Rainy Lake: Given a perfect storm of events, it could cause an additional four feet of water to dump into Lake of the Woods. That’s a lot of water considering the lake is almost one million acres in size. This spring has created challenges all over Minnesota. I hope everyone can overcome the obstacles and have a great year.
I would like to take a moment to welcome the new staff members recently hired at MCIA, Keith Marti and Maddie Barkholtz. I am sure you will find your time working with the members and staff of MCIA to be rewarding.
I thoroughly enjoy my profession and enjoy meeting and interacting with all farming and seed professionals. The people I meet are always upbeat and have a positive attitude. Is the attitude because we realize how important our profession is? Is it because we get a lot of sunshine and outdoor time with fresh air and nature’s beauty? I may not be able to put my finger on the exact reason “our people” are so great but I am blessed to be a part of it.
I hope the weather straightens out for all and leaves you with a very prosperous 2022.