I know many of us are starting to get into the spring mindset, but what does that mean for farmers?

What You Need To Know

  • Crops are planted in the spring

  • At the beginning of the season, farmers prep the fields

  • Animals on the farm need to be taken care of all year round


Preparing the Fields

When spring finally sprung, farmers were excited to prepare their fields for the upcoming season. 

This may include tilling their fields, applying fertilizers, and getting rid of any weeds that may exist.

Farmers also have the option to use cover crops in some of their fields. Cover crops are often used to help maintain soil quality.

Having the right soil is important to the success of future crops planted. Often farmers will run tests on the soil in the spring to gauge whether they need to add any more nutrients to the fields before planting.


Planting the Crops

Once a farmer has done everything to prep the field, it's time to plant the crops.

Typically this happens a bit later in the spring in Wisconsin to avoid any last-minute cold spells or snowstorms.

The most popular crops planted in Wisconsin are corn and soybeans.


Animals Are a Different Story

For those of you who have a pet, you know it is an around-the-clock responsibility.

No matter what season it is, farmers always need to take care of their livestock. 

In spring, farmers can start bringing the animals out of their barns more often due to the warmer weather.

Typically, spring is an ideal time for calving. According to the USDA, almost three-quarters of the calves were born in the spring as opposed to only a quarter in the fall.