Wheat harvest finally going strong in area

By Becky Uehling

Grant Tribune-Sentinel

Wheat harvest officially began last week in Perkins County, a little more than a week past the usual starting date of early July. 

A wet spring turned into a cool summer which forced farmers to wait, and because of the hot, dry weather last fall, some were unsure of what they would get out of the field. 

“There is a lot of variable everywhere,” said Grant wheat farmer Mark Lagler about the quality and quantity of the crop. 

Lagler said because of the hot, dry, windy weather during planting season, the outcome of the wheat really depended on how well it got established in those harsh conditions.

“If it was able to get out of the ground and get a good stand last fall, it turned into a pretty good crop because of the rain this spring,” he said. 

Lagler said that he was expecting a yield of around 30 bushels per acre for his wheat crop north of Grant, but ended up with around 50. He said he was pleased. 

“That is good. I am happy with that,” he said. 

He said he knows other farmers who had such thin fields they ended up tearing them out.

For protein, Lagler said the average is around 10-11, and test weight has been between 60 to 61 pounds, which is where he would like it. 

The Frenchman Valley Coop echoed these findings with the crop they are seeing brought in from their farmers who got going last Thursday in Venango and Friday in Grant .

A representative for the Coop said as of Tuesday, the moisture was still a bit high at 15, but continues to move down to around 11 with the warm days on Sunday and Monday. 

FVC is seeing yields coming in with a lot of variability as well, between 40-80 bushels per acre, test weight between 56 and 60 pounds, and protein between 8 and 13. FVC said their customers are approximately 30 percent done as of Tuesday, July 11. 

Blake Miller, general manager at Scoular, said harvest also started about a week ago for their facilities in the county and Wallace. When asked about the quality and quantity of what was being brought in, Miller said he couldn’t comment, but could only say their elevators are seeing a “good wheat crop.”