Safe replant window passed, pivots still broken
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A familiar sight across a good portion of Hamilton County are pivots down for the count, for the foreseeable future. This group is sitting, detached, off to the side of a field outside of Hampton. They are likely awaiting repairs that could come any time in the next few months. This has affected some producers decision making process post-hail.
The past few hail storms have taken a noticeable toll on local producers and residents alike. While those not watching their crops checked for dents in cars and holes in siding, farmers like Mitch Oswald have been making big decisions in a short window.
Oswald, who farms a few miles outside of Aurora, was affected the most by the first early June hail storm. It took out nearly 80 percent of the crop he had planted.
“And then I lost two swing arms off pivots and then another tower off (a pivot),” he noted. “It kind of put a little bit of a wrinkle in my year. Obviously I had to replant what was hailed off because it was hailed off enough that it wasn’t going to come out of it.”
The last week has been spent ripping up and replanting.
Unfortunately, as far as repairing his pivot goes, Oswald reported be won’t be getting those parts until likely August.
“I had to be really selective on what crops I put back on the field due to pivot pieces not being available for irrigation and stuff,” he said.
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