It is mid-late January in Ontario, Canada.  That means pile and piles of snow along with temperatures so cold you can get frost bite in a matter of minutes, right? That is not the case and this especially not true for January 2017.  In Southwestern ON we have experienced more rain than snow this year and some forecasted temperatures will likely break old record highs. 

Does this mean that “winter” is nearing the end and that we are going to cruise into an early spring this year?  It is possible, but not likely.  As we all know, February and some of March can give us some of the coldest and snowiest weather of the year.  We can hope for warm weather or we can hope for snow, but in the end we take what we get.

No matter what the weather does over the next 3 months, there is a good chance that there will be corn planted in the province 90 days from now and an even better chance that the majority of the corn will be planted shortly after that time.  As farmers, we are always working.  Use these next few months to prepare for spring 2017 by attending some meetings/farm shows, learning from other growers and spending time in the shop getting equipment prepared for spring.

No matter what the weather does over these next few weeks and months, don’t forget spring planting is just around the corner and your learning and preparation in February and March could be what you need to take your farm to the next level.

– Brad N