As the year came to a close, we once again asked the DTN/Progressive Farmer reporting team to pick out the most significant, most fun, or otherwise their favorite, story of 2025. We hope you enjoy our writers' favorites, continuing the series with today's story by DTN Cash Grains Analyst Mary Kennedy.

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When I think back on 2025, one of my favorite stories stands out. It began with a simple question: What challenges were farmers and elevator managers facing as they tried to plant spring wheat?

I found myself driving down familiar roads, stopping at elevators and farms, just like I did years ago. The conversations brought back memories -- weather delays, soil worries and the quiet determination that defines this business.

After all, I've spent decades in agriculture, working in North Dakota elevators and later at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, trading spring wheat and durum and other grains. That background gave me a perspective that allows me to understand exactly what they are going through.

After more than 35 years in this business, I can say the part I love most isn't just writing about planting and harvest; it's connecting with the people who make it happen.

Those voices are what make the story, and writing stories like this isn't just part of my job, it's something I truly love.

Here were some of the voices I included in my favorite story of the year:

-- "Spring wheat planting in the Northern Valley is much like the Minnesota Wild playoffs. There are good days, and there are bad days. We have had sunny, warm days where planting progressed; and we have also had rainy days where planting has come to a halt. I would say roughly 20% of wheat acres are planted and with widespread showers over the past few days, those acres will take off quickly." (Tim Dufault, Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council Board member, said May 1.)

-- "Spring wheat is 65-70% done and we had beautiful conditions to plant in, especially with no flood. Now a nice inch or more. So far, so good. It's still early yet, by Sunday we will be going again and be finished up early next week. The beet crop is all in on our farm and planting went well and now a nice rain. It was earlier than normal for those, too. Now to pray we can dig them all! It will be a huge crop if the weather cooperates." (Nathan R Riskey, Warsaw, North Dakota)

-- "Been going for about a week and a half. Barley and lentils are in and should finish up the wheat and durum by this weekend May 3. We'll have around 2,000 acres of durum, and only a couple hundred of wheat. Other than dealing with some cold ground temps and wet low areas, there weren't too many issues getting small grains in. Should start seeing them coming out of the ground any day. (Kim Saueressig, McClusky, North Dakota, on May 1)

-- "I am at 138 acres of wheat planted of all my consulting acres I look at around the Devils Lake area. So, 0.002% planted as of April 30. Cold and damp is the story. It's not hot enough to take out the frost and not enough rain. I took a crop tour of my area and there is some rock picking and fertilizer spreading but no seeding. It froze pretty hard April 28, but it's forecast to warm up in the 70s May 3 to May 5 so things will happen then." (Jason Hanson, Rock and Roll Agronomy, LLC, Webster, North Dakota)

-- "We had some dreams of early soybeans to try but those ideas went poof! I know a few guys that have no wheat and have put some soys in, some guys did some corn, but really everything was pretty spotty in our neighborhood as one neighbor never even got seeding because fields were too wet in areas. The future looks like the heat will crank up, so hoping we get something done. Until then we've got other stuff to work on until we can get back in the field." (Darrin Schmidt, who farms in eastern North Dakota where farmers started to plant on April 21)

-- "We are coming off of an extremely dry fall and winter. We received .81-inch of rain in one shot mid-April but missed all the other chances. Seeding conditions are good but I wouldn't mind taking a couple days off to watch it rain!" (Riley Schriefer, who farms in western North Dakota)

See complete story and more of the conversations about planting in the story, at "Spring Wheat Planting Challenging for Some Farmers in the Northern Plains, https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Mary Kennedy can be reached at mary.kennedy@dtn.com

Follow her on social platform X @MaryCKenn

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