Well its that time of the week again.
R A I N!
R A I N! Boy how times have changed in 365 days. We are stuck in this vortex that is driving rain south and all of Western Canada is living on a Prayer and Thunder storms. It is so sporadic that one mile south of our yard it rained over a inch on weekend. We had three tenths. Our area has been lucky no doubt this year and I sure don't want to jinx it.
Sad part is the wettest month in Canada is June and that door is closing real fast. July for the most part is thunder storms and that's all we can count on from now on. Hopefully the blocker breaks down but lets hope it doesn't at harvest.
Farm progress show was a success and the next one is the Saskatoon show. To all the guys who thought if you give a crop every thing it has to give back, Mother nature still picks the winners and losers. 10 years of flooding was not normal and the funny thing every farmer in our area is talking about how normal this year really is. Western Canada is dry yes this year is really dry but were dry land farmers.
Ok here is the crop report.
Rain this past week helped take crops that got the good soaking to the next level. We have a half section that missed most of the rain and the heat will take yield away that's coming.
HRS is a 9 and is getting ready to head, Fungicides are going to be going on. The crop is growing a root system this year for the first time in along time. Sub fertilizer is being used. Crop grows right up to the water which hadn't happened also in years.
Peas are a 9 and just starting to flower last night. It doesn't matter if you Burnt black fields or thick stubble they look the same still. Lots of plants and thick. Only problem is Geese eating about 50 ft in around large water areas still. Fungicide will be applied soon.
Barley the early is a 9 and looking really good but if you missed a few showers those fields are slower and not as thick. Its a critical week for barley and time will tell. Fungicides went on yesterday as lots was just in the boot. Later is a 8 but has caught up and only a few days behind probably around next Tuesday it will be heading.
Oats is my sad sack this year and Ill call it a 6 and thank god I dropped about 700 acres from my original plan. Maybe should of seeded 4 to 5 bushels a acre as lots of thin ones didn't grow or are still sitting. It is on some of our land that has less rain. It does have 18 plants per SQ ft but would like 24. Time will tell. It got its in crop yesterday to finish off our spring spraying. Seed quality could have been a issue for my oats.
Soy is leaps and bounds ahead of last year. We have rows above the straw layer that was harrowed twice. We didn't blacken the soy fields like one neighbour did. Time will tell but I think we will do that next year as well. First spray Round up done second will happen. looking good.
Flax is hit and miss in our area some fields are WOW and some are WOW. Time will tell. I didn't seed any but have lots around our farm.
Corn is up and has rows and first spray has been done. Not to many fields in our area but that experiment is coming closer to home.
Canola is our bread and butter and it is looking WOW. Cabbage and clean and thick from one end to the other. Liberty vs. Monsanto etc. all look good. Burnt ground worked ground or thick stubble all are looking good but the black fields are starting to bolt and flower as they were up and going way sooner. Two to four fields are flowering. Time will tell but for now its a 9 plus here. Things to remember we had a half after seeding and a half a week later and no spring frost plus a inch plus last week on all our Canola fields.
Their is not a single field of lentils I can find in a 20 mile radius for our area but with the last 10 years of excess moisture they are one crop most have given up on. Probably next year lots will go in as we use to grow them years ago.
Faba bean experiment no one did it in our area haven't seen a field.
Pasture land is still holding on but not as thick as other years.
Haying is starting yesterday for most. Its a thinner cut but guys will be going hard. Lots of ditches will be cut plus low areas that drowned out. Clover looks good so does clean Alfalfa fields old hay fields are going to be a struggle this year.
So yes rain makes grain in more normal years. Looked at photos of last few years last night. Here is a observation. We just started spraying Monday most years in the flood. Were done this year. Water was in crop and crop areas you seeded were yellow and sick. This year lots are end to end and similar crop even growing up to the waters edge. Cabbage on Canola vs sick purple trying to bolt plants. This kind of water destroys land and mind and will to continue doing what we love to do. But yes I will agree rain makes grain.
So from our area things are looking rather great. Like some one posted no one would have wanted the last 10 flood years like we got so maybe just maybe this year is our turn.
I do understand what no rain does to a person and how all the hard work you did to get the crop in early and sprayed to have mother nature not give a drop of rain. What still scares me is how we can go from FLOODS to Drought in 365 days. If your margins were great in about a years time some one from AG stab will be phoning you trying to take your check down to a smaller amount and delay paying you for months as they request more and more info. My father got a letter the other day that stated he had a substantial increase in his expenses that they were questioning. It was and I am not kidding $5.00 higher than last year. Then after you do get a check don't cash it or if you do prepare to pay it back.
Crop insurance will make you harvest a crop even if it is 10 bushels a acre or less. Then that number is taken off your total allowed. Its nickel and dime time. Best thing is hail storm for some.
I cant see a program coming as nothing really came of the floods. They will study the situation, have meetings, study some more and by next spring hope we get snow and it starts to rain.
Grain contracts are contracts and they will make life miserable for those who cant meet their obligations. But if it was the grain companies fault its all ok.
Welcome to Canada is all I can say.
So keep safe and remember its only a crop your family is counting on you to make it home every night.
R A I N!
R A I N! Boy how times have changed in 365 days. We are stuck in this vortex that is driving rain south and all of Western Canada is living on a Prayer and Thunder storms. It is so sporadic that one mile south of our yard it rained over a inch on weekend. We had three tenths. Our area has been lucky no doubt this year and I sure don't want to jinx it.
Sad part is the wettest month in Canada is June and that door is closing real fast. July for the most part is thunder storms and that's all we can count on from now on. Hopefully the blocker breaks down but lets hope it doesn't at harvest.
Farm progress show was a success and the next one is the Saskatoon show. To all the guys who thought if you give a crop every thing it has to give back, Mother nature still picks the winners and losers. 10 years of flooding was not normal and the funny thing every farmer in our area is talking about how normal this year really is. Western Canada is dry yes this year is really dry but were dry land farmers.
Ok here is the crop report.
Rain this past week helped take crops that got the good soaking to the next level. We have a half section that missed most of the rain and the heat will take yield away that's coming.
HRS is a 9 and is getting ready to head, Fungicides are going to be going on. The crop is growing a root system this year for the first time in along time. Sub fertilizer is being used. Crop grows right up to the water which hadn't happened also in years.
Peas are a 9 and just starting to flower last night. It doesn't matter if you Burnt black fields or thick stubble they look the same still. Lots of plants and thick. Only problem is Geese eating about 50 ft in around large water areas still. Fungicide will be applied soon.
Barley the early is a 9 and looking really good but if you missed a few showers those fields are slower and not as thick. Its a critical week for barley and time will tell. Fungicides went on yesterday as lots was just in the boot. Later is a 8 but has caught up and only a few days behind probably around next Tuesday it will be heading.
Oats is my sad sack this year and Ill call it a 6 and thank god I dropped about 700 acres from my original plan. Maybe should of seeded 4 to 5 bushels a acre as lots of thin ones didn't grow or are still sitting. It is on some of our land that has less rain. It does have 18 plants per SQ ft but would like 24. Time will tell. It got its in crop yesterday to finish off our spring spraying. Seed quality could have been a issue for my oats.
Soy is leaps and bounds ahead of last year. We have rows above the straw layer that was harrowed twice. We didn't blacken the soy fields like one neighbour did. Time will tell but I think we will do that next year as well. First spray Round up done second will happen. looking good.
Flax is hit and miss in our area some fields are WOW and some are WOW. Time will tell. I didn't seed any but have lots around our farm.
Corn is up and has rows and first spray has been done. Not to many fields in our area but that experiment is coming closer to home.
Canola is our bread and butter and it is looking WOW. Cabbage and clean and thick from one end to the other. Liberty vs. Monsanto etc. all look good. Burnt ground worked ground or thick stubble all are looking good but the black fields are starting to bolt and flower as they were up and going way sooner. Two to four fields are flowering. Time will tell but for now its a 9 plus here. Things to remember we had a half after seeding and a half a week later and no spring frost plus a inch plus last week on all our Canola fields.
Their is not a single field of lentils I can find in a 20 mile radius for our area but with the last 10 years of excess moisture they are one crop most have given up on. Probably next year lots will go in as we use to grow them years ago.
Faba bean experiment no one did it in our area haven't seen a field.
Pasture land is still holding on but not as thick as other years.
Haying is starting yesterday for most. Its a thinner cut but guys will be going hard. Lots of ditches will be cut plus low areas that drowned out. Clover looks good so does clean Alfalfa fields old hay fields are going to be a struggle this year.
So yes rain makes grain in more normal years. Looked at photos of last few years last night. Here is a observation. We just started spraying Monday most years in the flood. Were done this year. Water was in crop and crop areas you seeded were yellow and sick. This year lots are end to end and similar crop even growing up to the waters edge. Cabbage on Canola vs sick purple trying to bolt plants. This kind of water destroys land and mind and will to continue doing what we love to do. But yes I will agree rain makes grain.
So from our area things are looking rather great. Like some one posted no one would have wanted the last 10 flood years like we got so maybe just maybe this year is our turn.
I do understand what no rain does to a person and how all the hard work you did to get the crop in early and sprayed to have mother nature not give a drop of rain. What still scares me is how we can go from FLOODS to Drought in 365 days. If your margins were great in about a years time some one from AG stab will be phoning you trying to take your check down to a smaller amount and delay paying you for months as they request more and more info. My father got a letter the other day that stated he had a substantial increase in his expenses that they were questioning. It was and I am not kidding $5.00 higher than last year. Then after you do get a check don't cash it or if you do prepare to pay it back.
Crop insurance will make you harvest a crop even if it is 10 bushels a acre or less. Then that number is taken off your total allowed. Its nickel and dime time. Best thing is hail storm for some.
I cant see a program coming as nothing really came of the floods. They will study the situation, have meetings, study some more and by next spring hope we get snow and it starts to rain.
Grain contracts are contracts and they will make life miserable for those who cant meet their obligations. But if it was the grain companies fault its all ok.
Welcome to Canada is all I can say.
So keep safe and remember its only a crop your family is counting on you to make it home every night.
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