Minnesota organic row crop farmer faces uphill planting battle

News

Minnesota organic row crop farmer faces uphill planting battle

An organic row crop farmer in southwest Minnesota has a lot left to plant.

Carolyn Olson and her husband grow corn, soybeans, and small grains near Cottonwood.  She tells Brownfield 350 acres of small grains were planted before a rain event dumped more than six inches of rain in less than a day earlier this month.

“So all of the small grain was planted, and we have about a third small grain, a third corn, and a third of our soybeans, so roughly two-thirds of our crop is left to plant.”

Olson was able to plant about 100 acres of corn Tuesday before rain pushed them back out.

“And I know that crop insurance dates are fast approaching, so it’ll be an interesting situation in that regard as well.”

Olson says the final planting dates for full crop insurance coverage on organic corn mirror conventional and she’s not optimistic they will be done before the May 31st deadline for the southern two-thirds of Minnesota.

Olson is vice president of Minnesota Farm Bureau.

.