With weather in the area as it was Tuesday, it stands to be a few days, maybe more, before Fisher, Minn.-area farmer Tom McDonald's equipment will be back in the field.

the sloughs, the wet spots. But with the weather we got after mudding them in, it made it look like we really knew what we were doing," McDonald said.

McDonald said the crop that's in the ground so far is coming up well, but cooler, windy weather isn't exactly what the doctor ordered.

"We've got some beets up right now. I suppose that, if you looked at our whole crop, about 30 percent of them are up. They look a little cold out there right now, though," McDonald said.

Better wet than dry

When it comes to recent days' strong winds, however, newly emerging crop can be better off in wet as opposed to dry soil. Moist soil, McDonald said, doesn't blow out from around the young plants as easily.

"It doesn't get down there and wiggle them around quite as much as if it was dry -- they're pretty fragile. If it's dry and you get wind, you can get what's called 'girdling,' where it moves them back and forth, cuts them off, you lose the plant," McDonald said. "So, wet is actually a better way to be right now."

None of the McDonalds' soybeans or dry beans are in the ground yet, McDonald said, but that's a good thing. At least for the time being.

"Right now, with it cold and wet like this, I'm glad neither one are in. It hurts the guys that have some in, though. That's the problem with beans -- we have enough moisture, but it needs to be warmer than this for them to go," McDonald said.

In the northern Red River Valley, planting activity essentially is at a temporary standstill as well, said Bill Craig, Marshall County, Minn., extension agent.

"Right now, everything is shut down," Craig said. "Up until now, we had some activity in the Warren and Viking areas, up through Newfolden and Grygla. Farther west of there, things are farther behind. They have the heavier soil, which takes longer to dry."

Heavier soils wet

Overall, Craig estimated that spring planting in Marshall County is 40 percent complete at present. That varies from area to area, however.

"I'd say the big concern is really the valley soils, closer to the (Red) river -- typically heavier soils and they've been wet all along," Craig said. Crop already up and growing in Marshall County generally looks good, Craig said.

"We do have some crop up so far -- mainly sugar beets, wheat and barley," Craig said. "What crop is up, these small rains we've had did help, even though they stopped planting work."

Griggs County

While planting activity is on hold for the moment in North Dakota's Griggs County, farmers should be back in the field relatively soon, said Brian Gion, Griggs County extension agent.

"We kind of have a mixed bag of things here," Gion said. "We have some people done with their small grains, others who just started. Some of them probably will be back at it tomorrow (Wednesday), depending on where they're at."

Rain amounts last weekend across Griggs County varied between one-half inch and 1 inch.

"Last week was probably our best week so far, countywide. Quite a bit of the wheat that's in is up, a few soybeans and some corn are up, so it (rain) helps them," Gion said. "And if we had some heat, I think it'd dry up all right and let people get back to work."

Rustebakke covers agriculture. Reach him at 780-1239, (800) 477-6572 ext. 239 or brustebakke@gfherald.com.