LINN COUNTY- Rain, wind and cold weather have Eastern Iowa farmers stuck and waiting to start the planting season.

Many farmers tell TV9 they're ready to go but the weather this year simply won't cooperate.

In 2007, many Eastern Iowa farmers began planting corn by the middle of April. This year, it'll take several weeks of sun and much warmer temperatures to even think about working in soggy fields. And getting a later start can present some problems.

One farmer, John Hofmann, said he's had plenty of time this spring to tinker with machinery in his machine shed. But what he's really like is spring-like weather to get out in the fields.

Hofmann started planting corn last year on April 19th. But before then, he was out in the fields getting things ready. Hofmann said if it were a normal year, he'd already have some jobs finished.

"If we were putting on spring ammonia, anhydrous ammonia, we would have that done or try to have that done by now...any oats seeded or waterways rebuilt...we'd try to have that done," he said.

There's still plenty of time for corn farmers to get those seeds in the ground. Planting corn by May 10th usually insures a full harvest in the fall. Soybeans can go in even later.

But the longer the weather waits to warm up and dry out, the more problems farmers could have with a "deadline pressure" to do everything at once.

Curt Zingula, Linn County farmer, said "The biggest concern for farmers is everything will get bunched up--it'll be difficult to get fertilizer and the number of hours we'll have to put in will mean long days to get things put in in time."

One potential bottleneck could be anhydrous ammonia farmers use to provide nitrogen fertilizer for corn. The price has doubled this year. But the biggest issue now is fields are too wet to apply any. If farmers begin calling all at once, there won't be enough tanks and trucks to handle a season's worth of demand in just a few days.

Farmers are looking at some of the highest grain prices ever as they start this spring planting season. And in a way that's adding to some of the waiting tension. With that much money at stake with the crop, you don't want any problems--especially with the weather.