The 2025 planting season across the Midwest began for many in the first half of April. Above normal temperatures and a lack of moisture in late March allowed farmers to get an early start on tillage and field preparation. After 7-10 days of planting, widespread rain and cool temperatures arrived over Easter weekend. This caused farmers to halt fieldwork for a few days to several weeks, depending on their location. Given the early start, most producers finished this year’s planting ahead of normal. One exception was the Southeastern Corn Belt, which received frequent rainfall throughout late April and most of May.
