Friday Crop Report on a Thursday!

[grassfarmer]

Thanks, Grass now that's a report. Hope you get a rain soon to recharge for next year as that is usually Canada, Next year country.

Unfortunately if you have livestock it's not possible to retreat to your home in the city, collect crop insurance and jet off to hotter climes for the winter before "trying again next year." For us it is a 365 day a year job, year after year. Our problems are real and immediate, the cattle have to eat whatever the cost. That's why ranchers always pray for rain - never for drought. I guess we live in two different worlds.

On a positive note I miscalculated the moisture content of the silage - we are only at 1/4 of usual production not 1/7th.

[Sheepwheat]

Variable. Every mile makes a difference. We got a shower last night not much, but will keep things going. Right at home, crops are hanging on. A few miles away, not very good at all, running low on moisture. Within a few miles are fields of canola that are gorgeous and lush, and fields that are shutting down and showing serious problems. Personally, my oats looks pretty good, except for the one field in the dry pocket. My flax is poor, I had seeding issues and it is thin, and it sure seems to take heat poorly. The hay is amazing. Better than last year somehow. My hay oats are going to head in ten days or so. Pasture is poor, because it is overstocked. Still in the trying to build enough fence stage of my animal career. What I am fencing now, is half flooded bush with lots of grass, the other half I seeded to oats and so once the fence is sealed up, the sheep will not go hungry.

Unlike grass farmer, I like to get nice hay, so I want the rain to stay away at hay time! 😂 other than that, rain is not a bad thing so much when you have stock. Grass likes rain indeed.

And yes, that picking up and heading off whenever one wants is a distant memory. But to keep the farm alive, I am good with that. A different mindset indeed.

[wmoebis]

Up in the Peace country this week. Things look great up here. Have had showers every eve I've been here.

[GDR]

Unfortunately if you have livestock it's not possible to retreat to your home in the city, collect crop insurance and jet off to hotter climes for the winter before "trying again next year." For us it is a 365 day a year job, year after year. Our problems are real and immediate, the cattle have to eat whatever the cost. That's why ranchers always pray for rain - never for drought. I guess we live in two different worlds.

On a positive note I miscalculated the moisture content of the silage - we are only at 1/4 of usual production not 1/7th.

Grass, looked at kijiji quick this am. 3 ads caught my eye, first was 900 bales no price shown but just listed yesterday and already says sold out, next was one for $200 per bale hay and last was an add pre selling straw for $32.50 per bale, might be a long winter feeding stock or like you say big liquidation.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Far west of Red Deer. We are finally getting some random thunderstorms that don't completely bypass us. Drought maps have us at 1 in 50 to 1 in 25 year dry for the past 365 days. Last year took everything out of the subsoil, so we are relying on just in time rains, which haven't been in time, or amounted to much.

Biggest story is the hay crops, this could be considered the haybasket of Alberta, on dry years we typically sell surplus hay all over the province and beyond. This years hay is dismal.

Crops are fairing much better than the hay. But I've never seen canola dropping leaves and coming out of flower this early, wheat and barley turning and firing off leaves. That is weeks ahead of normal.

We seeded canola later than most, then flea beetles set some back even further, thinking that may have been a blessing in disguise, since it won't be finishing flowering in the 30+ temps with no rain( possibly). Still lots of potential, if it rains any significant amount. Some very good canola crops around, and a lot of very thin and patchy crops and all flowered for a very short period of time.

[jazz]

SF3, I appreciate the crop reports.

But I have a question. We as farmers have thrown everything into a crop again. Fert, chem fungicides etc etc.

Now mother nature is batting last. Looks like she might hit a late season double or triple in a few places.

Can this high input, costs all upfront, everything more expensive every yr (except the commodity) model of agriculture continue?

[Guest]

SF3, I appreciate the crop reports.

But I have a question. We as farmers have thrown everything into a crop again. Fert, chem fungicides etc etc.

Now mother nature is batting last. Looks like she might hit a late season double or triple in a few places.

Can this high input, costs all upfront, everything more expensive every yr (except the commodity) model of agriculture continue?

In one word , NO , it cannot continue

[jazz]

In one word , NO , it cannot continue

I am hearing on the g****vine that yields are going backwards fast in a lot of areas. Heat blasted, sparse canola is some, durum losing kernels and probably weight now, soya looking for rains.

And the same thing is around the world. Crop problems abound, Australia, Russia, EU. The wheat stocks have already been reduced last year.

The best thing we as farmers could do is lock the bins and force a shortage and get these prices where they need to be. We can do that the crops we dominate, canola, durum, flax, canary, lentils.

This industry is doomed if there isnt a reckoning soon.

[grassfarmer]

AF5 - weren't you the guy telling me a while back how much extra we could grow if temperatures increased - although you did acknowledge in a later post that hotter years in western Canada were correlated with lower precipitation?

Wow, things must be tough if Sheepwheat's crops are just hanging on, LOL.

Joking aside it's a salutary reminder that drought always has been, and will continue to be, the biggest climatic risk facing prairie agriculture.

[SASKFARMER3]

Trying something different today. Using the Kelley on a gay field once over and second two pass. Level mole hills and thatch grass