Spring is in the air

As the weather slowly takes a turn for the better, farmers across the province are anxious to get in the fields. Throughout the winter, farmers have been busy determining their seed, fertilizer, and chemical needs for the upcoming season. As the snow disappears, seed companies will make their deliveries to farmers’ sheds in preparation for planting–although a lot still has to happen before that can happen.

Farmers will get their equipment ready for spring by bringing it out of the shed, making sure that everything works correctly. This is also the time to do regular maintenance, such as greasing parts and changing engine oil, before the busy planting season arrives. Once the ground is fit to travel on (when it’s not too wet), they may do some tillage to loosen the soil and prepare a seed bed. They also might spread fertilizer so that plants have all the nutrients that they will require for the growing season. Only when optimal conditions arise–dry ground, warm soil and a good weather forecast–will a farmer head out to the field to plant seeds.

This spring, melting snow is uncovering one more big job for Ontario farmers… (click to read more).