Friday Crop Report on a Thursday!

[SASKFARMER3]

Well, its summer and summer everyone is busy so this is a rather short report.

First, our idiot in Ottawa changed his cabinet. Concentrating on Toronto for the win. It isn't about Canadians or working for Canada it's about winning the city of Toronto. Are you people in Toronto just that stupid. Really.


Ok, we are having computer issues this morning. Wow typed report and then checked what it looked like and it's gone.

Few observations that are weird this year. Radar looks like lots of rain coming to where ever you are and its just spit or the next time its a huge hail storm with zero rain, or huge storm and you get a 1/2 inch.

Crops are way poorer than last year and going downhill every day. Heat and wind are taking their toll.

Farmers at AIM were saying its hit and miss for rain, not sure it will fill, a good hail storm would be awesome and we needed rain yesterday. The mood is still upbeat but with farming, we all know in 30 days what will be there. Crops of barley turning north Regina. Davidson peas shutting down and canola's skinny with yellow spots and dried spots. Hail all over the place.

One other thing I heard at AIM from guys was crop insurance probably won't pay much this year with spotty showers as some quarters that got are ok and some that missed every storm is ugly.

Example.

canola guarantee of 40 at 70% is 28 bushels.

Four quarters one 40 one 35 one 25 and 15. Average yield is 28.75.

No payment for you Mr. Farmer.

Our hail damage is on 13 quarters. The worst is 40 acres at 45% and 80 at 25%. Rest is 5% to 15%. All were sprayed with Either proline, Releaf and Boron. Or Aceplella releaf and boron or Lance. Well, see.

Or is it putting lipstick on a pig?



Ok here is the crop report and all others please post whats happening in your area don't just critique mine.

HRS is filling and could use a drink. We got showers last night but nothing really major. Why a drink would be nice it is a very good crop and keeps the momentum going.
Hail damage is hangers in HRS.



Flax in our area looks nice. Odd dirty field but most who grow have a good idea how to get it nice.



Oats are heading and getting Disease control. Seems shorter and later for heading.

Barley is filling and the head is bending down a bit. Early seeded on way to Melville is turning, not burning.

Peas are still doing the shits on our farm thanks to Viper but the fields have come back and looking better but no bumper for us. Thanks, BASF for no involvement or talking. Liberty is being dropped or we are switching 100% to RR for next year. or Going 100% generic spray and seed will form a different source if it passes China talks.

Canola first picture is irrigated just outside Blackstrap

Spraying is all but done and now we wait.




Part two!

[the big wheel]

Somebody has to start talking about the premium for crop insurance which has increased and yet the program doesn't get any better. Its an out of touch program with the reality of
Today's farms. But you won't hear anything from our farm groups on this or any of the main issues affecting us.

[SASKFARMER3]

Ours with minor hail damage.

Pastures are holding up well but overgrazed are showing signs.

Buddy who was bailing said its awesome were the snow sat or piled up in winter then on hills poor. Overall getting bales but lower yield this year.

So it seems the area from Regina east to Valley is in need of a rain. Valley to Yorkton is nice and Yorkton to Swan is awesome.

In travels this week short barley 6 in plus and wheat that almost on every field you can see the rows no leaf left or very little.

Drought sucks I hope all get a rain or the hail some want.



American harvest is moving north. Love side hill combines so this is from a custom cutting crew in Washington I believe.



Ok please post what others are seeing happening in their area. Lots of experts are still calling it a Great big crop so the market knows better. HAHAHAHAHAH it's a manipulated joke.

Rains are hit and miss and final outcome might not be that great or everyone will just be above crop insurance and that's what I'm calling now. In the next few weeks ill give my fall estimate of what I think Sask. will produce. Going north in next week.

Also again this morning radar shows showers but the reality is its piss all spit.

North of us late yesterday afternoon DAmage again from hail.



Late pig shit fields with applicator dips. Over applied? Its later Liberty and because of the change in manure years its liberty on RR canola ground. Sprayed with Proline.

I know it goes against everything against what I learnt in Saskatoon but Subsoil and compaction are an issue in our area. 37 years of No-till is showing up other issues. Looking at this machine and wondering if it would work along with compaction mapping.





So be safe, enjoy the summer and if you know your going to have issues this fall get in and talk to advisors now.

Insurance is great but the reality is its insurance. I have to walk those fields and probably wish I had a bat for every stupid comment they make about the crop.

[grassfarmer]

Very poor conditions in this area. Last 5-6 days of heat have really taken their toll with no significant rainfall since the hail storm June 14th. Baled some silage yesterday - a month late and 1/7th of normal crop. Cereal crops are all turning whether filled or not. Canola all over the place from shutting down to reseeded stuff barely covering the ground. My corn after recovering from hail damage is running out of water. Grasshoppers are flocking to it as it's the greenest thing around. Pastures are burnt out on high spots - across the whole field for the guys that overgraze/don't manage their pastures. A good chunk of the remaining cow herd in this part of the world will likely go to town this fall. Just an ugly situation.

[SASKFARMER3]

I agree Bigwheel our organizations have no clue what to worry about the good times are going to continue. HIT BRICK WALL>

The useless AG stab program should be scrapped and just give a 2020 crop insurance program that works for todays farmers. Real simple.

But nothing will change in Canada as farmers are dead last and industry get covered first.

Here are the machines I liked at AIM.



DOT is nice in a dream sequence but reality someone has to fill and if your our they're all night just run a night shift.

We cant be replaced yet. WINK WINK.

[SASKFARMER3]

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.

Few other things at ag in motion was how bad the hail did damage the plots. Lots of snake oil trials.

HRS replacement for my AC Brandon is down to RedBerry or AC Cameron or one experimental variety out in 2020.

[bucket]

Somebody has to start talking about the premium for crop insurance which has increased and yet the program doesn't get any better. Its an out of touch program with the reality of
Today's farms. But you won't hear anything from our farm groups on this or any of the main issues affecting us.

But they have put a lot of money into research and development to grow more for smaller returns....

Then where is the PMRA when chemicals that are registered to have no residual are causing problems. ....

SOLO is kicking the shit out of durum and canola crops....crickets.


What about more independant forensic agrologists instead of R&D....


Grow more with smaller returns with even less support.....

BTW is 10 days enough flowering for a canola crop?

Many crops turned from brilliant yellow to dull yellow to green in the last two days of heat....is that the better genetics???

Seems stupid to have money for R&D then nothing for commercial purposes. ...

[SASKFARMER3]

It's like my example a couple of days.

Trump pushes China to get a better deal.

China hits back at Trump supporters the Soy farmers.

Soy farmers still back trump.

Why because of the USA system.

FArmers will sell the soy for a lower price. The South Americans will buy it and ship straight to China. Paper shuffle but still going to the source.

USA farmers shortfall will be picked up by their insurance system.

Now Canadians get slapped with a 50 % or better tariff. Our idiot dances and looks like a fool. The ag minister doesn't even know where India is let alone spell it.

China will buy lots of Cheap canola because the market knows jack shit and our price is based on soy. Canadian farmers get the shaft at low prices.

Crickets.

WEre F#$Ked in Canada. WAKE UP.

[ajl]

East central Alberta is average to below average. Mine is likely a bit below on HRS and canola as they are running out of water. North of me had a bit more rain and it looks good but south is poorer. Saw some barley starting to turn yesterday and canola coming out of bloom already in the Strome/Forestburg/Castor area. These crops will be quite modest. So no bin buster, which is good since there does not seem to be markets for the production that is there. Feed grains are not too bad but HRS is dismal.

[Hamloc]

It appears to me that what will be the result of Trump's tariff war with the world for western Canada will be lower prices for our grain and any manufactured products we buy getting more expensive. In Canada our government is responding with tariffs of it own but when it comes to tax changes made by Trump Canada is not responding and investment is going elsewhere, very disappointing.

Now for crop conditions in my area of central Alberta, east of Red Deer. I may sound like a broken record, similar to Sask3, rains are very spotty and crop conditions variable. Canola crops in my immediate area are very good. Earlier seeded are setting pods and dropping flowers. Hot weather in our area the last week is not helping. I have had about 4.8 inches at my house since May 1. I go 4 miles west and the rain drops by over an inch and the crops show it. The wheat is showing the moisture difference more than the barley or canola. It is starting to fill and some looks ok and some going backwards fast. Easy to see the variability in the soil, we need rain.

I grew all Invigor canola. In our area we need to grow club root varieties so I grew L 241 and L 255. Very happy with both. Canola is anywhere from 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall and looks good. Half my canola was sprayed with proline, the other half nothing. I would give my canola an 8.Wheat, I grew Brandon and Penhold. Wheat looks good except for one field of Brandon growing where it was dryer looked good early, suffering now. Penhold is about 3 feet tall and was all sprayed with folicur, as dry as it is probably a waste of money. Overall I would give it a 7. The Brandon, the one field is dry and recieved no fungicide, the other has had more rain looks good and recieved folicur. The dry field is a 5 and the other is an 8. Peas, I only have 1 quarter. I grew Lacombe and they look really good. I used Viper and had no issues. This field has never had peas on it before. A few flowers left, lots of pods, anywhere from 5-9 peas per pod. Ranges in height from 18-36 inches. I would give it a 9. Barley, I grew Thompson this year. I like this semi-dwarf barley because I can fertilize it the same as my CPS wheat. All headed looks really good, not burning yet. Height varies in one field 18 inches, the other seeded 1 week earlier is 36 inches. The short field is seeded where I winter my cows and was cultivated, certainly hurts the moisture. Overall my barley is an 8.

Drove from Stettler to Red Deer yesterday on a parts run. I saw some really good crops and I saw crop that were burning. Highly variable, at this point I would predict an average to just below average crop overall. Hay crops are very poor, getting 30-50% of normal bales per acre. If we can get some rain things won't be to bad, if no rain and more heat thing will go backwards quickly. Enjoy the week!

[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.