Townsend Brothers take advantage of ideal planting conditions near Shakespeare

Ross Townsend Jr. of Townsend Brothers works to finish planting a field east of Shakespeare before an overnight rainfall arrived. With ideal planting conditions throughout much of the spring, area farmers have made excellent progress on corn and soybean planting. The rain was welcomed by producers across Perth, Waterloo and Oxford counties following a stretch of dry weather. Gary West photo

By Gary West

Modern farm equipment has come a long way over the past several decades.

While many farmers in the 1950s planted corn with two-row planters, today's equipment allows producers to cover significantly more ground in a fraction of the time.

Ross Townsend Jr. of Townsend Brothers was doing just that late last week while planting corn in a field between Shakespeare and New Hamburg.

Using a 24-row planter, Townsend was busy filling seed bins and taking advantage of what many area farmers describe as nearly ideal planting conditions during the spring of 2026.

In a brief conversation, Townsend said the planting season has been one of the best in recent memory on fields farmed by the family in Perth and Oxford counties.

Other farmers throughout the region have expressed similar views, noting warm temperatures, suitable soil conditions and timely field access have helped crops get off to a strong start.

While planting progress has been excellent, many producers were also welcoming the rain forecast later that week after an extended dry period.

Tavistock-area farmer Dwayne Dietrich said he has been pleased with the emergence of both corn and soybean crops. He added winter wheat fields are now headed out and appear poised to produce another strong crop when harvest begins in late July or early August.

Area farmers are hopeful the combination of favourable spring conditions and timely rainfall will provide a solid foundation for the growing season ahead.