It’s been a long, cold and snowy winter for many areas in the west. The Snake River next to our corporate office outside Roberts, Idaho is higher than it’s been in years – and spring just started. We may even have to move Potato Country archive issues out of the basement to keep them from getting swamped.
All this water got us to wondering if planting is going to be delayed this spring and if everyone has as much water as we do in eastern Idaho. Here’s the low-down.
Here in eastern Idaho, we have had one of the snowiest winters on record. Teton Valley growers can’t get into their muddy fields at all. Planting could still start on schedule though since that isn’t until the first part of May. But if it continues to rain…
In western Idaho, planting usually starts in April and should be on schedule or maybe a little behind. They too, have above-average moisture. Jim McBride of Mart Produce said growers are looking forward to another good year.
In Washington’s southern Columbia Basin planting has been going for a couple weeks and growers in the north are getting ready to plant said Ryan Holterhoff of the Washington Potato Commission. They are a little behind last year, but about on schedule over a ten-year average. Washington had great moisture this winter and there should be no water issues this summer.
In western Montana’s seed growing region, planting usually starts between May 5th through 10th. They also had a lot of moisture and water should be plentiful this year. Steve Streich of Streich and Associates said they are on schedule to plant, but slightly behind on shipping. They had double their normal moisture up to this point.
Preston Stanley of the Colorado Certified Seed Growers Association said Colorado’s San Luis Valley will be planting on schedule, the last week of April or the first week of May. From December 1 until now, they have received an incredible 411″ of moisture so no worries there.
In eastern Oregon, Rob Lane of Lane Farms told us that planting usually starts April 15 and this year they are right on schedule. Like the rest of the west, they had more moisture but the dry ground sucked it up quickly. Bill Brewer of the Oregon Potato Commission echoed the same sentiments.
Despite an epic winter, it looks like planting in the western U.S. will be about on schedule or slightly behind. All that snow will help keep fields nicely irrigated this summer and most people we spoke to are optimistic about a good season ahead.
