If there’s one thing farmers can’t control—but absolutely must plan around—it’s the weather. From planting to harvest, weather conditions can make or break a growing season, and recent years have shown just how unpredictable those conditions can be.

Spring: Timing Is Everything

A cold, wet spring can delay planting and shorten the growing window. If fields are too soggy, heavy equipment can’t get in. Late planting often leads to lower yields because crops don’t have enough time to mature before fall.

Summer: Too Hot, Too Dry

During the summer, crops need steady rain and warm (but not extreme) temperatures. Prolonged heat or drought stresses plants and limits kernel development in corn or pod formation in soybeans. Water shortages also affect livestock and forage.

Fall: A Delicate Harvest Window

Fall brings another balancing act. Early frost can damage crops before they’re fully mature, while too much rain can make fields muddy and harvest equipment hard to maneuver. Windstorms can flatten mature crops, leading to lost bushels and difficult recovery.

Increasing Uncertainty

Farmers across Illinois and Iowa are seeing more volatile weather patterns—more intense rains, longer dry spells, and warmer winters. This makes long-term planning harder, especially for farms that rely on traditional planting calendars or narrow harvest windows.

How Farmers Adapt

Crop rotation and soil health practices help retain moisture during dry spells.
Many use detailed weather models, apps, and field-level forecasts to plan daily work.
New hybrids and seed varieties are being developed to withstand more extreme conditions.

In short: Weather will always be a wild card in agriculture, but today’s farmers are combining experience, data, and technology to adapt and thrive—even when Mother Nature throws them a curveball.