It seems never wish for some thing so much that it actually comes true. Hell this upper level high pressure has just about F$%Ked up our crops. Some got rain this week, you are very lucky farmers in a year thats dry as a bone. Count your blessings. Yes i always say rain makes mud and it does, Excess rain F$%Ks up land and farms and destroys your hopes and dreams. Drought on the other had makes you stare all day at the sky looking up for that chance thunder storm. Or watching your bloody phone and see a storm develop over long lake heading your way only to head north and around by a few miles or dissipate and disappear, or head strait for you looks like a awesome event and its just a lightning and thunder dry storm that gives a tenth.
Drought is ugly and unfortunately we are going from the wettest area to drought. Yes Grass drought. Total rainfall since spring is 1.75 plus the .3. yes thats two inches and yes the crops are still holding on but i feel this is the last week we will see a neutral report. One early sign for our area is a ridge that runs just south of our yard and slopes to a flat ravine. Yes the flat ravine had no crop to speak of the last 15 years. Always seeded but when first major rain hit flooded or issues start then second kills plants and finally third its black with spots. So now the ridge is light soil and yesterday after the one day of mist you could tell that it has maybe five days left and plants will die. Funny the valley will do fine and probably be better than we had on the ridge the last few years. So it will balance off. But the signs are their in the heat of the day. Some lighter spots droop their leaves but so far they recover at night with temps in the teens. Maybe its good the crop is getting rushed along as the last one like this was 2002 and we all know what happened that year. Warm july and August it was like turning a dial and cool developed. If the high above breaks who the hell knows.
So for todays crop report its rather easy. If the heat continues its F$%K it were going fishing. Why spend money on a crop that will give shit all only to burn up in the next two weeks. We have been here before in the 80s. Yea you harvest what seems like a 40 bushel canola crop only to haul in semis that would normally be 1200 loads that are 968. Pepper. New term for the new farmers. Ask your dads they will know if they are long term canola growers.
Wheat does the same it drys up and is light like american wheat. No need for desiccating as it will happen naturally. Round up done on thistles etc probably won't work as plants are shutting down.
Crop report for July 13th.
HRS is holding up ok and so far no leaf drop on bottom of plants. No sign of Midge or leaf disease. Yes the plants got wet with mist and fog one morning and basically very little if any dew. We will spray our awesome fields and leave the poorer ones because return will not warrant the investment. Yes our land is all over the place and lighter Western dirt will be the first to get sick. So far the heads that are just coming out are nice size but without that one July rain not sure how they will fill. The big big yield i would say is gone we needed the rain at beginning of july. Mist and tenths do shit all. Yes their is subsoil moisture but how good is recovery after 35 plus days.
So far same rating as last week but it will drop after this weekend.
Barley is sprayed and just heading to full head. So far it looks good but again how well will it do with no moisture and heat and that useless wind. Who wants to bet come harvest their will be dead calm days.
Same rating as last week.
Peas are also sprayed and into the last or end of their flower period. They are shorter than the last few years but no root rot or death all over the low areas. Some to the north with later peas have had to spray for aphids.
Same rating but will not fill if heat continues.
Soy is recovering from the ugly start and starting to fix nitrogen. Some fields look like they should of been worked down and next is really nice. Some are still in ugly stage and some are starting to stretch up. Not like last few for sure. Might be a few new guys who are one season growers.
Rain in August is a must or its a bust for soy.
Flax if it was ugly early its still thin and ugly but flowering. If it had a good start its doing ok so far.
Lentils can't find one guy all way out or up to the lake who grew lentils this year in our area. I should of grown them i guess. Now the traditional areas Indian head cupar etc yea they have probably more and spraying is full bore.
Corn is not knee high by the fourth of july its struggling on fields i have seen. But outside melville is one doing real good.
Oats is in that wide leaf stage but how big heads will be is any ones guess.
Canola the retarded sister is all over the map. Early seeded are almost done flowering and yes their is flower blast especially last monday for some reason it hurt crops. Later is just starting to flower and issues will happen with the heat coming. Yes they dialled down the 35 plus but still the wind is here today from south with 84 degrees temps. Yea lets see how they recover tomorrow.
So far its holding up on good land real nice on the poorer you have spots and on worked ground last fall its struggling and later. Came after the first big rain.
Rating i would say dropped one point as heat and canola don't work at flowering. Ok also filling and ok most of the year. So if you got rain your going to do ok and look like a super farmer if you missed its Next year country. or WTF happened their.
Pasture and hay crops are going down hill and bales might be short this year.
So over all its a very serious week in our neck of the woods. No rain since the big one basically and that was over three weeks ago. Mist and subsoil and fog are what were living on. Time will tell but most have stopped looking at their fields and phones and headed away for a few days or weeks. Funny only one day planes were flying it was last week just before the supposed huge rain event. We were under a weather watch for both days and tornado watch plus heavy rain and it was three strikes and your out. God they are good at forecasting. Drew had us if you looked at his maps min or just in rain. Well were close to it you can smell it after it went by but no cigar.
On politics our illustrious leader gave a terrorist 10.5 million dollars and then blamed harper. WTF is all i could say. I think the Sock PM 15 min are starting to run out. I have always said he is a idiot that the liberals put in charge because of his name. I think i was correct on that observation. We have a 12 year old running our country. God help us or Allah or Buddha or Who every.
Oh the RM did build our road this past week and fix the area that caved in. Road is three miles and we got the nicest first 600 ft you ever seen. I guess the rest will come in next years budget. Well at least they made a attempt. Some Rms have no money since the flood years took their toll.
So enjoy Craven those who are going this is usually good for a major storm around Sunday or Saturday. Who knows its been almost every year since it started. Next week is Ag in motion which is one or not the best farm show around. Plots that you can actually see the grain varieties. etc. Yes they are fertilized to shit and irrigated etc. but you can see what a crop looks like. Funny with a dirt parking lot every one always says what if it rains hard as the shows on how will they get all those vehicles out. So far hasn't happened but hey their is always a first. Were their Wednesday but it runs Tuesday to Thursday. Enjoy.
Hanging up the sprayer this week and going fishing on the weekend. Rather nice looking at a pickerel or a Jack than a crop thats going through pain.
So have a great week and remember the ones at home are way more important than any crop that they will find a way to drop the price and take. Oh look at wheat and Canola its happening already.
Cheers.
Enter your crop reports please all areas make up this crop report not just me. If you got rain great tell us if your dry its not great but when we were flooded i said how it was and it is even therapy to say it like it is.
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