JOHNSONVILLE, Ill. — It’s about time.

“It’s almost dry enough,” said Daniel Lewis on May 10, as he worked on a piece of equipment in a Wayne County field. Lewis was helping his father, Lee, get some anhydrous in the field in anticipation of planting later that day.

WOODHULL, Ill. — Brian Carlson was smiling as he planted corn in Northwest Illinois on a windy, hot May day in near perfect soil conditions.

If he wasn’t here planting his father’s cornfield May 10, near Woodhull in Henry County, he would have been back home waiting for the soil to be ready on his farm near LeRoy in Central Illinois.

ROYALTON, Ill. — The 2022 planting calendar looks very different to John Chamness than the one last year.

Chamness, who was working with his uncle Jim in Williamson County in Southwest Illinois, wasn’t even able to get in the fields until well into spring. In years past he may have had most of his crop planted.

MANHATTAN, Ill. — Dave Kestel was one of the lucky farmers who got some soybeans planted in Northeast Illinois in April, before more rains and cool temperatures dominated the end of the month and the first few days May.

“This is the third year I’ve planted some soybeans before corn,” he said.

XENIA, Ill. — Chad Lewis finally got started with his planting May 10 this year. Last year he was done.

“This is the first day,” he said. “Last year we were finished with corn and beans both. We’ve had a few dry days, but it’s been chilly.”

DANVERS, Ill. — Brothers Darrel and Darvin Miller have been planting corn and soybeans in Central Illinois with the same planter for almost 50 years. Their tried-and-true planter was carrying them through the process again this spring, even with a later start than some years.

“I’m the precision in precision planting,” joked Darrel, who was riding on the planter making tweaks for a hybrid change as Darvin drove the tractor to plant corn April 29.

MECHANICSBURG, Ill. — The second round of planting in 2022 came on May 10 for Tonya Kresse.

“We started two weeks ago and got about 700 acres in,” she said May 10. “I would say we have another 2,700 to go.”

CANTON, Ill. — Even by the second day of planting soybeans for the 2022 season April 29, George and Nancy Roberts worked like a well-oiled machine, anticipating each step as the husband-and-wife team loaded the soybean planter.

The 32-row planter moved right along as the couple, like most who were able to be in the fields, planted in a small window of opportunity bounded by rains in Western Illinois. Start date was April 27 this year.

PHILO, Ill. — Ken Decker has been hitting it hard when he’s had the chance this spring.

The Champaign County farmer started planting April 22, getting two full days and a half day under his belt before rains set in again. After a break he was able to get back into his fields the first full week of May.