Unseasonably warm conditions have a mixed impact on Nebraska farmers.
"This is, without a doubt, the best calving season we've ever seen,” said Bill Armbrust, owner of Paradise Ridge farm. “Beautiful warm weather, it's reasonably dry. Around here we don't have dry conditions. We have good subsoil moisture, good surface moisture."
Part of the reason warmer weather is good for calves is because it lowers the chance they’ll die, Armbrust said.
The beautiful winter weather isn’t all good, though.
"Anytime that you get a really warm early spring like this, there's a tendency for us to have a drier year, he said. “Last time we went through this was 2012, and 2012 ended up being a tremendously bad year for agriculture."
For waterloo farmer David Bray, the warmer weather gives him extra time to get everything ready to plant corn April 10, which is the soonest allowed by his crop insurance.
"I'm loving it,” Bray said. “As far as doing our maintenance outside, trimming trees, going through and doing any last minute field work before the season begins. We're not wearing layers and layers of clothes."
Warm weather this early can also help speed microbial activity in the soil, which can help roots absorb nutrients.
But, the warm weather isn't good for all crops.
Early warm weather can be devastating to fruit farmers, Bray said.
"There are trees that are already starting to bud,” Bray said. “There are weeds that are already starting to come up. Especially for the guys who are in the fruit growing business, with this warm and having their fruits bud, it could potentially ruin their year."
While cattle ranchers will be enjoying the warmer weather in the Omaha area and other parts of east-central Nebraska, other parts of the state that got usual wintry conditions aren't going to have the amazing baby cow year that Armbrust described.
