That is some WET snow!!

[nicolaas]

someyears you leave your crop out. We dry our grain, but you first must get it through the combine. Who would have thought the harvest would end in the last days of September? October looks like/ is crap. I believe the crop will stay out, and it has happened before, and you can't do anything about it.

[4GFarms]

Breadwinner, I have had enough karma to go around two or three times in my short farming career. If you think i am giddy about people having crop out you are wrong. Some of my good friends have crop out and we will be the first to go help when it comes time. You are an arrogant A** for assuming that is what I am like. I will give you my shirt off my back if you need it but piss me off and you will be lucky if I give you my sweaty gotch!

[bigzee]

Twenty some days no harvesting pretty much sums things up. I have a 10k ac farm, run 3 class 8 combines and not done. Durum was taking for ever to mature, some taking 135 days. I've farmed for 30 yrs and this had to be one of the most challenging. The idea of "having more than you can chew" is only about jealousy. There's a lot of smaller farms with crop out yet.

[4GFarms]

And there are alot of bigger farms that are done. Even bigger than you bigzee. I am already planning for future years like this one. Looking at different combines, the possibility of a dryer, etc. Everyone gets dealt shitty hands sometime and I have been through those. How many of you enjoyed the $14/$15 bu canola years when we hardly seeded anything because of excess moisture. Funny nobody is hassling the canola and flax guys that hope the crop stays out so the prices will go up in the other threads.

[biglentil]

Should we feel bad for the Bto's that are not finished farming land in 5 different rm's. Live by the sword die by the sword. They love to claim efficiencies of scale well enjoy!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I can't speak to other areas, but for me, no amount of equipment would have changed my progress. Although descication would have, and a grain dryer would have. I've been told that more harvest happens in Oct than Sept historically here, and it certainly has been true in my time. So I wasn't panicked, when nothing was close to dry. We went hard on the few dry days, but could only find bits and pieces of crop that weren't off the charts wet. In hind sight ( so far) should have taken anything that would go through the combine, and deal with the consequences, but if the weather straightens out, that could have been a disaster.

What should have been the earliest harvest ever in this area will instead be the latest. People were seeding in Mid April here, which is unheard of. But no heat and rain almost everyday just prolonged the agony. There is still first cut hay to be put up around here. And what did get baled was mostly garbage.

Standing crops are shedding the snow fairly well. But ground is saturated, even standing water. Remaining barley was flat on the ground, so won't dry very easily.

[Blaithin]

I can't speak to other areas, but for me, no amount of equipment would have changed my progress. Although descication would have, and a grain dryer would have. I've been told that more harvest happens in Oct than Sept historically here, and it certainly has been true in my time. So I wasn't panicked, when nothing was close to dry. We went hard on the few dry days, but could only find bits and pieces of crop that weren't off the charts wet. In hind sight ( so far) should have taken anything that would go through the combine, and deal with the consequences, but if the weather straightens out, that could have been a disaster.

What should have been the earliest harvest ever in this area will instead be the latest. People were seeding in Mid April here, which is unheard of. But no heat and rain almost everyday just prolonged the agony. There is still first cut hay to be put up around here. And what did get baled was mostly garbage.

Standing crops are shedding the snow fairly well. But ground is saturated, even standing water. Remaining barley was flat on the ground, so won't dry very easily.

You must be near me!

[AlbertaFarmer5]

You must be near me!

I'm straight west of Red Deer, about as far west as anyone dare try to grow grain. We had a few very short decent harvest days, but not enough to get any crop dry or ripe.

[farmaholic]

4G...if you referring to my comments in the flax and canola threads....you're wrong, I am not hoping the rest of this crop doesn't get harvested. It was simply marketing comment and how much tough grain may be pushed onto the market. And when more is offered, and in less than ideal quality and quantity. ...guess what will happen to prices! Simple observation on my part, not wishing bad luck.

Biting off more than you can chew comment.... I had this conversation with someone else. What's the difference between 2500-3000 acres with one class 8 combine and 5-6000 acres with two class 8's or 7500-9000 acres with 3 class 8's? Everything is relative. I've stated I'm in the recreation league by choice. If I don't want the head ache of managing 10, 000-20, 000 acres that is my business....but don't claim I am suffering from "sour g****s" when in reality we aren't that far apart in what we're each going. I've also said if I wanted more to do I'd buy or rent some more land. So if you bit it off...start chewing, if the weather was less than co-operative, it's not my fault and I'm sure there are many in the same boat as the guy " not done".

Can you imagine the beating the combines may have to endure? Wrapping flax straw, "pounding" tough canola swathes through. Scraping the ground to try to get crops that went almost flat. Getting stuck. "Rescuing" some operators is like enabling an addict.... if some health issues arose or a catastrophic breakdown occured(but you can rent or lease)..different story. But for the guy who can never get enough? Then takes on more because he was rescued the year before....I don't think so.


Best of luck getting done.

[SASKFARMER3]

9 days in September between rains.

You can have 3 or 6 or 7 or 10 if mother nature wants to F#$K with you it doesn't matter.

[4GFarms]

Farmaholic, I have no problem with any statement you have made. I am only pointing out that a few turned on me as I asked the question "do some have to much land", so I just wanted to know why nobody asked in the other threads as you and a few other discussed possible outcomes for this year that may reflect an increase in price. So here is my observation (like it or not),
1) you are done harvesting
2) you had lots of hardships during harvest (rain, repairs, etc)
OR
3) you have too much land (if this last one offends you then you fall into this category and you should probably go out and buy/rent a few more combines)

Maybe the weather turns around and you can get it off or maybe winter stays. I will tell you how it all played out come april!!!! That is when my crystal ball will tell me haha

[4GFarms]

SF3, did you guys get this last snowfall?? How far north did it go?