Spring planting underway; commodity prices strong

As farmers head into the spring planting season, they are finding renewed optimism for something that has been missing for years: a sunny forecast for a profitable year.
Dean Jirousek, a long-time farmer outside of Ellendale, said farmers like himself are heading into spring planting with the perfect combination that will likely lead to revenue they haven’t seen in at least eight years.
“I am super optimistic right now because crop prices have jumped up significantly,” said Jirousek as he stepped away from his tractor last Thursday afternoon to reload more corn seed into the planter. He also said farmers are finding the perfect combination of good soil, great weather conditions and excellent commodity prices.
Specifically, Jirousek pointed to corn and soybean prices, which finished at $7.39 per bushel and $15.74, respectively, April 30 on the Chicago Board of Trade. “That’s an eight-year high,” he said. “The last time we saw those kinds of prices was in 2013. It has put farmers in a good mood.”
By comparison, corn prices averaged $3.67 from 2013-2019 and soybeans were often below $9 during that period.
Jirousek said he credits the rebound in commodity prices to several factors, including weather conditions throughout the U.S. and South America as well as demand for grains to be exported.
Jirousek, 66, operates 400 acres of corn, soybeans, sweet corn and peas. “I’m noted as the small farmer in the neighborhood,” he said with a smile.
Fueled by great weather conditions over the past week, Jirousek has finished planting his field corn and turned to soybeans on April 30. “Planting soybeans in April is unheard of,” he said. “It’s going in fast… it has been perfect.”
He said he plans to plant sweet corn within the next two weeks.
When asked what the greatest reward is from farming, Jirousek pointed to the ground and said, “It starts right here. A farmer is successful if he grows something.”
Jirousek said that for the time and investment devoted to farming, he would probably be better off doing something else. But he said it all goes back to the crops that grow, which motivates him to continue farming. “I love working with the soil,” he said.
The past several years, Jirousek said, have been particularly tough for him and other farmers as they have been forced to watch their expenses closer than ever. “There wasn’t a lot of profit margin,” he said. “But, now we can buy things we had delayed over the past few years.”
Asked about the priorities for farmers, Jirousek said: “The list is long. Most farmers are looking to replace equipment they have put off for years.”
Jirousek said he is hopeful that the crops he is planting right now will lead to a bountiful harvest. He also said he will be praying for rain this summer.
And he’s cautiously optimistic the commodity prices will remain where they are at.
“Sometimes these high markets are short-lived,” Jirousek said. “That’s the big unknown if the markets will remain.”
For now, Jirousek said they are sitting in a good position. “There is not a whole lot to complain about,” he said.