Joel Penhorwood

By Joel Penhorwood and Brianna Smith On any given day, Ben Klick of Windy Way Farms in Massillon, Ohio may be in the tractor, doing chores in the feedlot or behind the wheel of a semi. The fifth-generation farmer works alongside his family on a diversified operation that includes corn, soybeans and wheat, along with a beef cattle feedlot. But another key piece of the business, one that has grown steadily over the years, is trucking. “They all kind of interplay,” Klick said.

Ohio farmers made solid planting progress over the past week, getting both corn and soybeans off to a faster-than-normal start. USDA says corn planting reached 9% as of April 19, a significant jump from just 1% the previous week and well ahead of both last year’s 2% and the five-year average. Soybean planting is also at 9%, up from 1% last week and running ahead of the typical 2% pace for this time of year.