photo by Sally Y. Hart

Heavy rains across Iowa last week left just 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork statewide, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Fieldwork included harvesting hay and seed corn, chopping silage, and seeding cover crops. Iowa’s third cutting of alfalfa is 84% complete, in the southeast district 73% has been harvested. Pasture conditions are rated at four percent excellent, 39% good, 41% fair, and 12% poor. In the last week, there were a few reports of high numbers of insects around livestock and some concerns for livestock in permanent pastures.