At Geneva Lakes Produce, if you name it, theres a good chance Corban Koster and his team grow it.Previous Coverage | Residents continue to see impacts of high water as the Fox River slowly begins to recede in BurlingtonWere a pr oduce farm. We do some fruits and lots of different vegetables. We specialize in being unique and growing all the weird stuff that you have a hard time finding, Koster said.Theyve built a reputation for offering both staple crops and unusual produce you wont find in most grocery stores. Alongside sweet corn, potatoes, beans, tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe, Koster grows okra, purple hull peas, kohlrabi, and even plants hardened off in the local climate so theyre tougher when customers transplant them into their own gardens.Watch: Burlington produce farm battles wet fields, delays during key planting time Burlington produce farm battles wet fields, delays during key planting timeWith over 100 different crops, timing is everything especially in the spring planting season, Koster explained. Theres a short window to be able to plant things on time, in a timely manner, in order to get a crop while people want it.That window depends on Wisconsins unpredictable weather. After winter, the ground has to thaw and dry enough to work before planting can begin. Farmers aim to line up crops frosttolerant first, then frostsensitive varieties so that each one has enough time to grow before the cold returns.Every bit of time I have to wait on putting in the frosttolerant stuff Im gonna spill into making my frostsensitive stuff take even longer, Koster said. Over the last several days, heavy rain, flooding, high winds, and storms have hit the Burlington area. For Geneva Lakes Produces 400 acres, the impact has been dramatic. About 40 percent of the land is dry enough to plant, but the other 60 percent is still too wet to work.Previous Coverage|Town of Burlington residents see flooded roads, properties as the Fox River nears major flood stageThat makes it hard to stick to crop rotation schedules, a practice Koster uses to reduce pests and disease by planting different crops in different fields from year to year.Right now, the hardest ones that take a long time thatd be onions and potatoes. Those are huge, Koster said. By the time we do get them done, well be spilling out into the frostsensitive stuff, and itll push back our ability to plant watermelon and cantaloupe and tomatoes and stuff like that. Another worry: planting too soon in wet soil.If the ground is too wet when you work it you can mess the soil up for the season, Koster said. Working muddy ground can lead to large, heavy clumps around seeds instead of fine, sandy soil, reducing germination rates and hurting plant growth. The worst part is that soil is now messed up for the whole year.Delays now can cause more crops to miss their optimal planting window, leading to harvests that come late in the season often after customers have moved on.Missing that time period is crucial for us, because now here we are with this abundance of homegrown crops that people arent as excited about just because theyre a few weeks later, Koster said. For farmers focused on fresh produce, harvesting later than planned can mean surplus crops and reduced sales, especially after Labor Day when demand for summer produce drops.With more rain in the forecast Monday, this weekend may be pivotal for us, Koster said. If the community is always there for us well always get through it.Despite the difficulties this year, Koster remains committed to the work.Every year has its own special difficulty theres always going to be something, he said. Were here every year pushing through the difficulties, and so are other local farms.For farmers like Koster, success this season will depend on what happens over just the next few days and whether the weather finally gives them a break.Learn More: https://www.genevalakesproduce.com/This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Its about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for TMJ4 on your device.Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip ...read more read less