What impact does a mild winter have on local agriculture?

Mar 01, 2024

WELLINGTON COUNTY – A milder winter will have some impacts to agriculture in Wellington County, but it’s not necessarily all bad.

“This is Ontario, temperature changes all the time and we have an El Nino I think happening right now that’s basically thrown off our traditional weather patterns,” said Barclay Nap, Puslinch farmer and Wellington Federation of Agriculture president.

In a phone interview, Nap said this winter so far has been marked by a lack of moisture and snow covering on crops which can be problematic for some crops planted in the fall such as winter wheat, garlic or alfalfa.

Josh Nasielski, U of G agronomist or crop scientist, explained the snow acts as an insulator much in the same way as an igloo.

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Video: Our Own On-Farm Research Is the Best Source - Managing White Mold in Northeast Nebraska

If you assumed Nebraska was too hot and dry for white mold to be a problem in soybeans, think again.

This week we're featuring Galen Samuelson, a farmer and dealer from Wakefield, Nebraska, who knows all too well how devastating white mold can be.

"We don't have it consistently every year, but with our temperature and humidity, it can hurt us quite bad," Samuelson says. Looking for alternatives, he explains, "What I like about Heads Up is that it's non-harmful to the beneficial fungal colonies in the soil." Galen has been using Heads Up for several years now, after first hearing about it through a small ad in a regional newspaper. Watch below to hear about his journey.

When asked to write about Samuelson Seed, Galen said the following:

"Samuelson Seed is a 4th-generation, family-based company. It started with my grandfather, and I'm now starting to pass the torch to my son, Caleb."

"In the early 1990s, I started working with a company whose focus was on plant and soil health before those benefits were widely known. I've continued to keep plant and soil health the main focus in our farming operation decisions."