Stick a fork in it!

[helmsdale]

This crop is DONE! For once the forecaster's got it right a week in advance... Im staring at my weather station right now as i write this, and it has been bouncing above and below the 100*f mark for the last hour and a half or so, with 5-15mph winds. The canola leaves are wilting, while trying to bolt at the same time(what little canola there is). The wheat is dropping leaves on the bottom. Peas couldn't have decided to start flowering at a worse possible time. My little corner of paradise SW of Oyen, AB will be effed after tomorrow (another near 100* day forecast). It will likely smell like curing hay swaths tonight.

Crop conditions have deteriorated substantially in the last 10 days to two weeks or so. Two weeks ago I thought 50% of the crop still had potential for a slightly above average crop, and the remaining 50%, with rain would be average to slightly below. I would rate my crops potential (assuming any "measureable" rainfall before July 15th) as follows:
Average: 10% (Earliest seeded on April 15th)
Below Average: 40%
Considerably below average: 15%
Unsure if worthy of a combine: 45%

This year is looking like a wreck of epic proportions!

[LEP]

I agree at this heat it would need to rain regular to maintain what little we have let alone gain any ground.

I have some bins for rent anybody need any?

[helmsdale]

Last should have read "unsure if worthy of a combine:35%" not that it really makes shit for difference anyway.

[farmaholic]

The whole thing seems a bit surreal and numbing. Its almost like grieving and I don't know if the reality of the situation has completely sunk in yet.

I don't even want to look anymore. No meaningful rain this season and running on reserve on light land and better stuff. This can not end well anymore. What a difference a year can make.

[helmsdale]

Not only has it not completely sunk in for you or I, it really hasn't sunk in for all those involved. I've heard plenty about how us farmers are stupid for having over extended ourselves. How about Bourgault? Westeel? Meridian? Rocky mtn equip, cervus, the list goes on. Cheap credit has fueled a tremendous boom in the ag industry like none other before. How many 100' drills and 1300bu carts are bourgault going to sell in order to service the debt on their major expansion? How many new grain and fertilizer bins are going to ship this fall and beyond? How many elevator complexes have been expanded or modernized in the last few years? Richardson's massive expansion of their north shore terminal? I would think that very little of this was done with CASH!

There are alot of chips yet to fall... i just hope me, my family, and the family farm are still standing once this shitstorm settles out!

[biglentil]

Yes scary shit, constant uneasy feeling in my stomach.

[fjlip]

Must be several hundred hopper bins for sale in this area, COOP's and CPS. Bourgault only needs 2000 air drills if they clear $25k on each. Hope your auction is not coming up....or you sell machinery or vehicles or fertilizer.

[Daylate]

Just got to drumhellar for a family trip. From home (east central sask) all through outlook, kindersley, all the way to drumhellar sucks *****. Thin thin thin. Shouldnt see dirt and stubble betwen the rows this time of year. Uneven. Burning up. Not good. Plan on drinking heavily for 4 days. Then go home and keep drinking.

[bucket]

There is canola here that doesn't have the strength to bolt. It is that bad.

When was the last time canada grew a sub 10 mmt canola crop.?

Not having to combine is looking better everyday. **** off rain - go where it can still help.

Besides I am haying.

[LEP]

Best possible outcome is a heavy mid august hail storm.

[iceman]

Million dollar hail storm? For Agstability? Whatever works I guess

Over & Out

[furrowtickler]

We have some wheat on poor dirt that is turning silver blue now but the canola, wht and peas on good dirt are still holding on - probably have 6 -10 days left on the good dirt other than hill tops and flooded out spots.

[Happytrails]

Helmsdale, I don't doubt that yours and lots of other crops won't make grain. The silver lining might be that you can sell whatever forage can be salvaged to your cattle neighbors. Probably get as much or more for it as the grain would have brought. Of course without rain in the next few weeks there won't be much roughage either.