Well and just like that our nice forecast is F$%Ked again. Rain on Saturday or Sunday! Yesterday was real tough so maybe friday. One fracking day a week will not get this crop close to being finished. The province can yap all it wants that less than 20% is out but I think from my travels the last few weeks they are so full of shit its not even funny Try 30% would be probably a better assessment. Alberta has issues and Manitoba ended their crop reports stating its just 8% left. Why governments paint a rosy picture when farmers are suffering. Have to protect Sask Crop insurance so the real truth is never told.
We like most in our area have missed the snow for the most part. We get mist and showers and snow flurries every other day. But last Sunday we got a 1/4 inch and you would sweat it was 3 to 4 by how wet things got. Yes 2009 we harvested in November and it was for the most part dry. But something is different this year with the weather. No sun at all almost need to buy one of those lamps like they use in the Yukon during the winter.
So here it is Last 2 weeks of Possible harvest and nothing is changing for the better. It looks again like one nice harvest day and then sit.
We inched ahead from last week and now are on the other side of 30% to go. A whopping 2% better than a week ago and that is the total harvest for the month of October.
HRS for most part is done.
Barley for most part is done.
Peas and lentils are done or leaving.
So the crops still out are Canola at 80% of whats left to harvest, then Flax at 15% left to harvest and finally oats at 5% of whats left. Funny oats cars arriving and no oats to put in as guys dropped a lot of oats and rest haven't harvested a acre.
Who harvested this week is really easy. The guys who have strait cut Canola did hammer a field off here and their. But at 1.5 mph now its rather slow. Guys with dryers did advance on Saturday and took what the weather would allow. Funny as soon as it got to around 7:30 or 8 it was game over with moisture jumping way up and you thought your were in the Shuttle on take off. Best strait got was just over dry or 11 and best Swath got was 13 average to 16. Not for bins or aeration but dryers. Elevators are real slow to care or give a shit about the wet grain and haven't made much of a effort to help guys who need help. Spend spend Mr. Farmer but when the shit gets tough they all scatter like rats.
Flax was the one crop that if it was standing did get to be harvested and actually got close to dry. Or like some said it was dry. Slow going but still where able to harvest.
Any Cereal is basically way to wet to even think about harvesting.
So what are guys doing besides sweating. Very little grain is moving as guys realize they need to move this shit that will be harvested if their is a chance and might have to mix with already harvested product or might have to negotiate so much dry wheat for tough canola or just mix. No adding water this year here.
Fall work very little is being done and most are putting equipment away. When you don't get sun for a half a month deep in the back of your mind you think its over the fat lady is warming up. Lots had spraying to do and nothing basically got done. Lots had fall tillage to do and nothing got done. Fall harrowing and nothing got done.
But what if this crop doesn't get harvested then what. Because if we can't go with no snow how the heck can areas that have snow expect to get going again with the shitty weather all around. Millions no Billions left in fields.
But its then the problem for next spring. All Canola acres are usually seeded to Wheat of Barley for rotation purposes. Yes one drill can seed Peas and Canola early then switch to wheat but what if we go back to normal and a early frost you Have bushels of frozen shit that no one will want.
Fertilizer in fall is min for our area so the shortage and logistics bull shit that some are talking is Bull shit. Most direct seed and product is either liquid or Anhydrous or Granular. Not much is done in fall so really no shortage.
Odd guy is using the Pull dozers on fence lines etc. And Odd guy playing in mud like us. Field harvested last Saturday is black today. Why work, well if this is the new normal you don't want anything to catch snow let it blow all way to Manitoba. Cattails you want gone as why have a 6ft snow fence. in middle of fields.
But the biggest thing about this shitty fall that I find farmers talking about is 'No way in Hell am I going to bust my ass to try to seed into mud in 2017 because past experience has showed it was all worthless to do'. In other words seed what you can and leave the rest. Moisture wise we are back to like the fall of 2010 or worse. Water in every low area in fields. Creeks running and dugouts that you finally did see some tops are back under the water.
Very low point in AG will be this winter and it will have a trickle down effect. No use spending money if its in the field. Some might be still thinking major rent to replace fields still with crop but thats a pipe dream now next fall you have excess crop area and if weather is same double the problem of a year ago.
Keep your heads up, Stay safe its just a crop that they don't give a rats ass if its still out they still want their piece of your pie. They will get it.
Have a great week and share whats going on in other areas.
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