With a sense of normalcy hard to come by these days, you can forgive northwest Iowans for finding comfort recently in a very familiar spring scene.

Corn began sprouting in some local fields over the past week. With great planting conditions and light precipitation this spring, farmers have been taking advantage by blitzing their fields.

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, 91 percent of the state's corn crop had been planted as of Monday with 71 percent of soybeans in the ground.

"What a great start, particularly in light of the struggles of establishing a crop in 2019," said Joel DeJong, ISU Extension agronomist for O'Brien County.

Corn planting is nearly a month ahead of last year and two weeks ahead of the five-year average, according to Monday's crop report. Less than 5 percent of the corn crop remains to be planted in northwest Iowa and approximately one-third of it has already emerged.

Soybean planting is a full month ahead of last year and over two weeks ahead of the five-year average. Northwest and north central Iowa also lead the way in soybean planting with less than 20 percent remaining to be planted.