By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

BLUFFTON, Ind. — Above-average snow so far this winter in many parts of the Farm World coverage area might have been a boon for skiers and others who love snow, but it also brought extra work and worry for farmers.

Fortunately for those with winter wheat or a hay crop such as alfalfa, that heavy blanket of snow will serve a positive purpose. It should act as protection against the bitterly cold below-average temperatures many parts of the region have also seen, said William Horan, extension educator for agriculture and natural resources with the Wells County, Ind., office of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

“Extremely cold temperatures without snow cover can be very damaging,” Horan explained. “It’s best to have snow cover in the winter. Without that cover, you can see lodging in alfalfa. It can also kill the crown in winter wheat.”
Weather stations at two airports serving the northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service recorded varying levels of above-average snowfall from December 2010 through Feb. 7, said Sara Weisser, a meteorologist in the office. In addition to northern Indiana, the office serves counties in southern Michigan and northwestern Ohio.

Snowfall at the South Bend airport was 35 inches over normal, and slightly more than 11 inches over normal at the Fort Wayne airport, Weisser noted. High temperatures at both airports ranged from more than three degrees below normal in January to more than nine degrees below normal the first week of February.

While the snow insulates winter wheat and hay from damage during the bitter cold, areas that received ice instead aren’t as lucky, said Don Mennel, president of The Mennel Milling Co. in Fostoria, in northern Ohio.

“The snow is a good winter cover, but ice is a problem,” he said. “It can starve wheat of oxygen and if the sun shines through the ice, it can dry it out. But the cold weather and winds without the snow could cause damage.”

If the snow melts slowly, the moisture will soak into the ground, he explained, saying a quick snow melt could later cause damage to the crops because of flooding and ponding.

Despite all the snow, farmers in St. Joseph County, where South Bend is located, are dealing with it, said Phil Sutton, the county’s extension educator for agriculture and natural resources. He’s also concerned what will happen once the temperatures rise.

“Our biggest impending problem is if we get a fast snow melt. We always have drainage problems, and we have a lot of snow to melt,” he said.

The dairy farm of Merrill Kelsay in Johnson County south of Indianapolis was as prepared as it could be for the ice and snow it received the first week of February, its owner said. Kelsay’s farm milks about 525 cows three times a day.
“We were figuring out how we were going to allocate the generators,” Kelsay explained. “We had the tractors all in place full of fuel, ready to run the generators if necessary. We were sweating it out over possibly losing power. Fortunately, it was only out about a minute.”

They also made sure to have enough feed and ways to get to where it’s stored, he noted. “We have a big blade so we can clear the snow out and get around. You’ve got to be able to get out to get the feed.

“We were also worried about our milk hauler. He had to get here, get out of here and get back to the interstate,” he said.

LaGrange County, in the northern part of the state, had about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground last week, said Steve Engleking, extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in the county’s extension office.
Farmers with livestock should make sure their animals are watered, though they might not need as much as normal, he said, adding that winter weather slows down their metabolism, meaning less water is necessary.

“The animals really only need watered a couple of times a day. In this cold, the guys may have to chop the ice, or they can pull water out to them,” he said.
Engleking said thick hair coats on some livestock helps protect the animals from the bitter cold, though it’s important for producers to provide them with shelter during periods of extreme wind chills.

The extension agents said they haven’t heard any reports of livestock dying over the winter because of the weather, nor have they had any calls from farmers with questions or seeking help. Even with proper precautions, it’s possible for some animals, especially the young, to suffer some freeze damage to areas such as the tips of their ears or to their tails, Horan noted.
Farmers should understand the necessity of taking care of themselves as well, Engleking said.

“When you have the snow that we’ve had, and the high drifts, it can be a struggle to get to your animals or even get around the farm. Whether you’re out there shoveling snow or pitching hay, you have to be careful not to overexert yourself in the cold. You have to pace yourself and be careful,” he explained.

Kelsay employs 10-12 workers and said he made sure they took care of themselves during the extreme conditions.

“We try not to push too hard and we get done what we have to get done,” he stated. “We know it’s just going to take twice as long to do half as much. We also have pots of coffee in the shop and make sure we all come in to warm up. And we’d have two people doing a job so no one was out by themselves.”