It’s no secret Minnesotans experienced a wet spring this year, and while this may have ended the state’s roughly two-year drought, it’s an added stress for farmers.

From the beginning of the year to July 1, 18.83 inches of precipitation fell at the St. Cloud Regional Airport, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. This is a lot considering the wettest year-to-date for that same timeframe was 18.97 inches in 1897 — a 0.14 inch difference.

The high amount of rain saturated fields as the growing season started. Farmers say it delayed the planting process because working in those conditions can create problems, such as damaging the soil structure — how the soil is assembled with materials like clay, sand and silt.

But not everyone was at ease once crops were in the ground. Browns Valley farmer Anne Schwagerl told the St. Cloud Times she worried about wet conditions continuing once crops were planted.

“We swung from drought conditions last year to excessive moisture on my farm this year,” Schwagerl said. “For example, we got six inches of rain in the month of July, and that can cause lots of stress on the crop … some crops don’t like being wet consistently, they grow better in soil that’s been well drained.”

Read the story from the St. Cloud Times here.