More rain forces planting to grind to a halt in Ontario

Another weekend of rain in most of Ontario has left Ontario growers wondering what is the best strategy in the most challenging spring in recent memory. There were some areas that were able to get some planting done, but time is really of the essence.

Some dust did fly, but on the eastern side of the province as some estimates have planting 70% complete in the Ottawa area.

#plant19 into best conditions of the year. #ontag pic.twitter.com/XIxwHxVlFE

— Warren S (@farmerschneck) May 31, 2019

East of Toronto in Bethany, Ont., Adam Shea and other farmers were not so lucky to avoid the rain.

I’d have to say…. Of all the rains this spring…. This last storm tonight said FU the most. #ontag pic.twitter.com/dUy7FBm9ZS

— Adam Shea (@FarmingForYou) June 1, 2019

North of Barrie at Tiny, Ont., growers just got rolling over the weekend. Alex Maurice tweeted, “FINALLY! #plant19 has started for us with some no-till corn into last years cover crop.”

FINALLY! #plant19 has started for us with some no-till corn into last years #covercrop. #PRIDEInMyField #ontag pic.twitter.com/4Ez3mKpRtz

— Alex Maurice (@Alexmaurice14) May 30, 2019

There has been plenty of sarcasm, which shows the frustration that has been mounting for over a month. David Vandewalle farms at Dublin, north of London. Vandewalle tweeted over the weekend that, “good thing we got more rain this afternoon, it was getting too dusty.”

Good thing we got more rain this afternoon. It was getting too dusty. #ontag #sarcasm pic.twitter.com/CrzQVLFmBu

— David Vandewalle (@vandewallefarm) June 1, 2019

At Lucan Biddulph, Ontario just north of London, Eric Dietrich saw more showers to the north:

Drizzled out in the north today….. #plant19 #ontag ?? ? pic.twitter.com/2R4TNMNbyU

— Eric Dietrich (@dietrich_ed) June 1, 2019

Down in Essex, Ontario it was clearly not planting time as storms wrecked more havoc. Kevin Ross tweeted a video showcasing how hard the rains came on Saturday.

? #noplant2019 pic.twitter.com/5yWxOYnTWK

— Kevin Ross (@KevinKevinross) June 1, 2019