What’s happening in your fields? Click the Feedback From The Field reporting form and give us your first-hand account. Use the interactive map below to see all this year’s reports just by clicking the flagged locations. Click the box in the upper left-land corner of the map to bring up an index of what the different colors of the markers signify and to toggle the week’s reports on and off.

Farmers made progress planting crops last week. But with emergence slow, yield potential falling and millions of acres left to go, growers talked about the hard decisions they face on reports to Feedback From The Field last week.

Thanks to at least some open days last week, farmers reported progress up 13%, which would take the nationwide total to 71%. On average, growers normally are 95% completed. What happens to the last 30% or so of fields is still very much up in the air.

One producer in north central Ohio was considering taking prevent plant on 100% of corn acres after being hit by 3 inches of rain and hail. Still uncertain is whether growers who follow suit will quality for the next round on tariff aid compensation, or whether benefits from the disaster aid bill will be extended to more farmers.

Another producer in central Indiana felt lucky to be done planting corn, compared to most in the area. “Conditions were not ideal on anything planted over the last 7-10 days, so yields may drag a bit on those acres come fall,” was the evaluation.

Several posts last week noted yellow corn trying to emerge from wet, cold fields. Said a farmer from Colorado: “What corn is up is very yellow. Some corn has been in the cold ground for nearly three weeks and hasn't emerged. For us, it's getting very late to replant. We already only use a very short season 96-98-day corn on a normal year.”

Another producer in southern Wisconsin now faces a 1% drop daily on crop insurance coverage after the final planting date in the state passed Friday. “Have to weigh how long to stick with corn, switch to beans or prevent plant. Decision will be made once the ground is dry enough to go which is ‘when’?” wrote the farmer.

Soybean growers also made progress last week. If reports Feedback received last week are followed nationwide, 40% will be planted in this afternoon’s progress report from USDA.

While most of the focus of traders is on corn and soybeans, farmers are also worried about forage crops. A producer just north of Peoria has already lost one cutting of hay and doesn’t expect to get into the field until mid-week. “Hay prospects have gone from critical to grave,” was the assessment. “We have not only effectively surrendered the 4th cutting to the calendar, but the quality of the first cutting, even if it gets harvested in sunny conditions, will be far less than desirable.”

Follow along with the season by clicking these links:

Feedback from the Field - May 28, 2019 - Growers make progress, but at what cost?

Feedback from the Field - May 20, 2019 - Warm, dry week gets growers in the field as crucial benchmarks arrive

Feedback from the Field - May 13, 2019 - Wet is the word for 2019.

Feedback From the Field - May 6, 2019 - Some farmers in western areas make progress but overall planting remains slow.

Feedback From the Field - April 29, 2019 - Farmers in eastern Corn Belt and upper Midwest face delays.

Feedback From the Field - April 22, 2019 - A few wheels turned but most of the Corn Belt is too wet.