Lingering flooding delaying planting season for some farmers
GRIFFIN, Ind. (WFIE) - Farmers are falling behind as flood waters from earlier this month are still hanging around. Right on the Posey and Gibson County line, some fields are still sitting under feet of water.
“Normally what you would be looking at behind me are just fields of corn and soy beans,” said farmer Ben Kron.
Instead, you see feet of water covering fields and roads just north of Griffin.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it this bad in my lifetime,” Kron said. “Maybe my dad or granddad has, but I haven’t. There’s spots where it was 15-20 feet deep probably.”
Kron knows no two years are ever the same in farming, but this is one he’ll remember for a long time. The majority of the 2,000 acres his family farms have some level of water on them, delaying the planting season.
“In an ideal year, we would’ve started 15-20 days ago most likely,” Kron said. “There’s just now a few places we can get started so we’re running at least two weeks behind right now.”
Kron says it’s not time to panic just yet, but if planting is pushed back another couple weeks, it could start to affect his yield come harvest season.
And to get seeds in the ground, it will take more than just water draining off the surface.
“The water may go down, but it’s got to get underneath the soil surface too, probably a good foot or two before we can get out,” he said. “Otherwise it’ll look dry on top but it’ll be real wet underneath and you can’t even drive through it.”
And with that persistent flooding, what’s normally one of the busiest times of the year for a farmer, has become all about waiting.
“There’s still roads we can’t cross and places we can’t get yet,” Kron said. “Just waiting on the water table to go down.”
Fortunately, Kron says they have been able to start planting in some of their fields, but it could be a few weeks before they’re planting in Gibson County.
He says if flood waters hang around through the middle of May, they could have a serious problem.
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