Wayne Gehrke; ask a farmer
Wayne Gehrke

We asked Kane County farmer Wayne Gehrke about his biggest challenge and opportunity during the next year:

The first weeks of the new year are usually a good opportunity for me to get away from the farm and refocus after a long fall and busy holiday season. Time away allows me to look back upon the previous year and think about the challenges of the upcoming growing season.

If a lesson from the last two growing seasons is to be applied, I believe that weather may again prove to be a big challenge during 2021. If there is too much soil moisture during the planting season, hard decisions need to be made on whether to plant in marginal conditions or to wait and see if conditions improve. Planting season is only so long, though, so one can’t wait too long or the crop might not get in at all.

See more: Ask a Farmer: Where Do You Sell the Grain Raised on Your Farm?

Time away allows me to think about opportunities that may arise in the new season. Many times, opportunities don’t give much of a heads up, and the need to be flexible enough to take advantage of them is important. I believe that opportunities come to the prepared, and I make time to plan ahead for some opportunities that may come my way in the new year.

– Wayne Gehrke farms near Maple Park (Kane County).

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