As we head into the growing season, many farmers this year are dealing with drought impacts and higher costs to maintain crops.

Mitch Breunig, the owner of Mystic Valley Dairy in Roxbury, Wisconsin, says his farm is one of many facing those challenges.

“Right now, there’s not a lot of moisture in the soil,” Breunig explains. “There wasn't any snow melt, so the soil is really, really dry. As we plant those crops, we really need it to rain or those crops aren’t going to grow.”

With an average temperature of 28°F from the start of December 2023 through Feb. 29, 2024, Wisconsin likely recorded its hottest winter on record. Breunig said these weather conditions pushed he and his staff to make costly decisions-quick. 

“We planted alfalfa a week ago in the middle of March for the first time in my lifetime,” Breunig said. “The soil conditions were perfect for it. That's one of those crops you just have to get it in the ground and hopefully it grows.”

According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the net farm income is projected to be 25% lower this year than it was in 2023. This shows the challenge for farms to be profitable in 2024.

“[Inflation] is really frustrating,” Breunig said. “All the things that we buy to help run our farm have gone up in price, and not to mention the interest rate. Our cost of production has really increased from what it was pre-COVID and that gets to be a challenge. It’s just a struggle. I have to really work on what it costs me to produce my crops and my milk so I can remain profitable.”

Source - https://www.wkow.com