Farmers in South Jersey breakdown the impact of heavy rain
FRANKLINVILLE, N.J. (CBS) -- Mother Nature plays an important role for farmers as we head into the important planting season.
We need some rain but too much is just as bad as not enough. A field in New Jersey will soon be filled with corn.
Farmers say right now is the ideal time to get seeds into the ground but this weather is holding them back.
Before the heavy rains moved in Friday afternoon, Alfio Previtera Sr. and his son filled tubs full of corn seed.
As Alfio Jr. hopped inside the tractor and corn planter trying to get as much corn into the ground as possible.
"As with anything crop wise, the sooner you get it in the better," Previtera Jr. said.
The father and son own Previtera farms.
They work outside on about 2,500 acres across South Jersey but the heavy and steady rain forecasted this weekend will delay them from planting in the fields.
"You want to get as much done as you can because we have so much to do and you don't know what's going to happen," Previtera Jr. said. "You might end up sitting for 10 days which is a lifetime in farming."
The farmers were able to take advantage of the warmer weather earlier this month getting wheat into the ground.
Planting early means harvesting early.
But several inches of rain could mean a slower start to the season.
"We don't want it to prolong because then we want to get back planting because this is the ideal time coming up to get seeds in the ground," Previtera Sr. said.
Too much rain can also cause crop disease and cost farmers valuable time and money.
Their livelihood depends on Mother Nature but the Previteras are optimistic this spring soaker won't cause too much harm.
"We're still in April," Previtera Sr. said. "If we get things planted at the end of April and into May it's a good growing season."
The Previteras say they're hoping for more sunshine next week to help dry things out so they can get back in the fields to continue planting.
They'd also like temperatures back in the 70s to help the wheat and corn grow faster.
