Its raining again...!!!

[fjlip]

That's 3 years worth! no wonder it's WET!

[SASKFARMER3]

Grass again your not the sharpest knife in the drawer! In our part of the world with normal snow fall that would produce a very nice crop.

[freewheat]

My best crop ever was 2003. We had about 3 inches all summer.

[grassfarmer]

Still sharper than you SF3. If you like it dry try moving to Coronation or Oyen, some of the real dry areas of Alberta. Guess that wouldn't work though because they still get in that 8.5 to 10 inch summer precipitation - way too much water - your crops would drown!

[freewheat]

An inch of Rain at Oyen does not go near so far as an inch of Rain in Canora, for several reasons.

Oyen and places like that in the brown soil zone areas:

A) Have very low organic matter and therefore the soil hangs onto moisture way less efficiently.

B) Have relentless, moisture sucking winds that Eastern Saskatchewan simply does not get.

C) Gets FAR less snow than eastern Sask. My area gets about 40% of its "Normal" 20 inches of yearly precipitation as snowfall. More snow and much longer winters because of it, add a massively different dynamic to the climate.

D) I see few sloughs and potholes that hold water year long at Oyen. In Eastern Sask, they are everywhere. The water table is higher, there is evaporation always happening, and most nights are foggy here, so long as it is calm.

E) Oyen is much warmer, with much more sunshine than the cool, often cloudy conditions of Eastern Sask.

F) Oyen is MUCH less humid than eastern Sask. There are no trees at Oyen, so little transpiration is happening, along with all the other factors that make it far less humid. IE the wind.

So as you can see, precipitation alone if it were equal, is not going to mean the same things at Oyen vs. Canora.

An example is that Melfort only gets maybe an extra inch of rainfall than Swift Current on average. But the conditions are such that the moisture use efficiency is so much better up at Melfort, due to its overall climate.

Just pointing out that we here in the wet zone, would be great with a 4 or 5 inch summer rainfall, where other areas would probably love our 14 inches...

[TOM4CWB]

Freewheat,

If Oyen had 14 inches straight for 5 years... they would have foggy nights, full pot holes and in a few decades a much higher organic matter as well!

Historic rainfall patterns do change... we need the 14 inch years to get through the 8 inch years in northern Alberta!!

[farmaholic]

The wind truly is dynamite. It is my nemisis. It has done more damage here, over the decades, than I care to think about. Our growing season precipitation sucked this year. We need some to recharge the soil. Our crop mostly survived or was grown on good soil reserve moisture, its not even a good crop but there is something to combine. Just a little bit of wheat left to take off then the rest is "moisture" proof. Here's to hoping for some decent fall rains.

Work safe and smart so when you're done you can play hard!!!!! Take care.

[TOM4CWB]

Farmaholic,

When I started here at Killam... I was told to leave the trees and pot holes alone... they hold water reserves... slow the wind down... and attract rain.

I believe they are right. We can farm in a way... the builds better soil and in turn we are blessed with better crops!

[farmaholic]

Tom, there wasn't a whole bunch of bush to start with and we do have potholes. I used to call it a glorified desert in the 80s. Hopefully next year is better. Hope for the best prepare for the worst. We will survive.

[TOM4CWB]

10-4 Farmaholic!
Hope for the best prepare to be tested!

Grin!

[grassfarmer]

Freewheat, Rimbey, AB gets way more snow than Canora, has low summer temperatures, no wind, high organic matter black parkland soil. 2014 saw us get half our usual 15-16"' growing season moisture. After average snow cover we had barely enough moisture to germinate crops this spring in places.
Point is you may be in a wet cycle but you are still all only a few months away from a drought in this relatively dry part of the world.

[freewheat]

The thing is, this area has NEVER had a lack of moisture affect crops negatively in the history of settlement. Too much moisture is the rule, and many crop years have been affected by too much.

Saying we are three months away from drought in this area is not reality.

[fjlip]

Like right now, mud on swather, cereal crops deteriorating from humidity, and RAIN forecast is guaranteed to happen. Has in my 62 years.