First Major Snowstorm of Season Approaches Midwest
Could harm some crops
The first major snowfall of the year and a cold snap set to sweep into the northern Midwest could harm some late-maturing corn and soybeans crops and delay the harvest, an agricultural meteorologist and the National Weather Service said on Thursday.
The storm is centered in a small area across northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, including the fertile Red River Valley, where farmers are still harvesting their corn and soybean crops after the worst drought in half a century devastated U.S. grain this year.
Minnesota is the third largest soybean producing state in the United States and the fourth largest corn state, based on its harvest last year. North Dakota ranks number 10 in soybean production.
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So farmers there have the following options:
(1) Get out of the business and let more southern states grow corn.
(2) Employ some kind of technology or approach that will provide cover or warmth for more of their crops.
(3) Deal with their business as they see fit and let the market determine prices.
(4) Blame it on climate change, send as much of their money to the EPA, whereupon the directors can tank up on martinis and posh dinners, throwing some crumbs to universities who can blame it on climate change.