Wisconsin farmers say planting is off to a promising start this spring, with essential crops like soybeans and corn already in the ground ahead of schedule.
Drier weather has allowed farmers to get out into the fields earlier than in previous, muddier years, agriculture experts say.
The statewide progress for Wisconsin's staple crops is well ahead of the five-year average, according to this week's crop report from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
"If it's going to be dry at any point during the growing season, this is a good time of year for it to be dry," said Mike Ballweg, Sheboygan County crops and soils agriculture agent at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension.