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Ridiculous weather for harvest again

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#1 ·
Well it's another start of harvest here watching it rain a little every second or third day. No wind except when it rains and rarely seeing the sun most days. I haven't seen dust from the rear of the combine much this fall at all. Peas at 21-22 in air bins in the rain. Still lots in the field that can't be harvested due to rain or cloud making them wrap and not worth the fight to get in the bin. Took swathed bly off and running it through the dryer at 19 and even 21 in greener places to get it off the ground before this 2 day rain event. Standing bly got to 17.3 only and is soaking in the rain for another bout of needing 2 days of sun to get back to harvestabilty. Dryer will be working overtime once the rain stops long enough to be fired up again. I have 4500 of bly in dry bin and 5000 in wet bins waiting patiently for weather of course. My canola is staying green with the lack of sun but I guess its not freezing yet at least. Dry spring and moderately cool summer and wet fall. Exactly the opposite of what one needs to keep sanity in this business. Prices in the crapper as well are going to make the profit margin nonexistant. 38 cents last fill for propane. wish I had 5 1000's here to captivate the low end on propane pricing. Still Sept but looking at the long range it looks like a couple days harvesting at best here and there with dryer doing the work. I know I am not the only one struggling to get rolling here. How about you? and where you at with harvest?
 
#2 ·
We have double the combine capacity we need and in years like this it pays off big. If you can find the man power and trucking you get so much more done when the conditions are good. There is a lot to harvest all over. Our two large used combines are worth about a 40% of a new big one. The problem for everyone is we have not had any heat for the last month. Thankfully we have not had frost yet.
 
#3 ·
Your are not ALONE, counted TWO days of sun for harvest so far. Getting concerned about dragging the flex headers in the mud to harvest a soybean crop.
As of sept 8The USDA crop states over 6 million acres of soybeans have not set pods yet and over 9 million acres of corn are not in the dough stage, yet they continue to state their trend line yields. I have farmed a lot of decades and I have always found a late seeded crops is poor, so unless the situation in the U.S states is overblown, and things are looking fantesticle, with another big crop, which I think is B.S because family in south Dakota are really suffering from poor yields from ridiculous weather.
What do you think captain USA, WILL THEIR BE FIREWORKS in the September 12 USDA report, or will things be neutral until the combines start rolling,
 
#4 ·
What do you think captain USA, WILL THEIR BE FIREWORKS in the September 12 USDA report, or will things be neutral until the combines start rolling,
**** the USDA. Those idiots have no clue. Sept 12 will probably be a yawner thought they did say they may have a handle on prevent plant acres, however my gut feeling at this point is they will just raise yield and/or cut demand to make up the reduction, which on both counts is horseshit.

Currently corn processors are hand to mouth running 12 hours 7 days a week and a plus .15 basis, they are not getting enough corn. Local coops are at the lowest corn inventory levels in years.

We're just starting silage chopping and I do a small amount of custom work, I have not been in a field appraised over 200 BPA yet, moisture is 68% yet with kernel moisture at 42%, we are a solid 10-14 days behind getting started. Seed corn harvest was attempted last week, corn sprayed with defole still in the upper 40's for moisture, suspended for 10 days. Variability in fields is pretty extreme, seed production coming in around half to 3/4 of last years yields.

And we're a better area.

None of this will matter though, they'll kick the can to the Jan. report where they can shave production and reconcile the numbers a bit and roll out a massive planting intentions number for 2020. Bear in mind, USDA claims we planted 90 million acres of corn this year, they also acknowledge a large prevent plant, 10 million acres +/-, keep 98 million corn in your head for next year, maybe 100, it won't happen but that doesn't matter.

Did I say **** the USDA?
 
#6 ·
I have a quarter of wheat in swaths, so far the scare cannon is keeping the geese away. Went Saturday and tested it, 23%. They were only calling for about 10mm of rain Sunday so I figured I'd wait. Probably got 1 1/2 inches since then, that 23% doesn't seem so bad now! Shoulda maybe taken off at least a super bees worth and get the frostfighter going, have something in the bin at least and get a bit ahead of the drying if this keeps up.
 
#8 ·
Harvest weather????!!!!!:22::22::22:That's a good one!!!!!!! Got about 300 acres of barley off a month ago that was dry. Probably the nicest barley I have ever seen, 58 lbs. Have since had a good 7 inches of rain since then, considering a grain cart now as the fields are so soft and wet, water in a few spots. Got the oats off dryish a couple days ago. Almost done the barley now, about 50 acres to go. Stuff is sprouted but surprisingly not as bad as a guy would think it should be as it hasn't come close to dry in a month, yesterday it was the driest we took off since it began raining, 17%. Rest has been from 18 to 23%. Our old dryer surprised me, I didn't think it would dry the 23 stuff in one go, or if it did, it would be unbearably slow, but it actually ran through about 150-200 an hour. Not bad for a 40 year old machine! Everything has been or will be dried except for the first 300 acres. I am really getting tired of moving grain around. Oh, by the way, barley testing 23 begins to heat in 36 hours without air. Just in case you want to know! Feel sorry for the poor old combine having to grunt this all through. As brutal as this has been, we have quite a bit more off than most in our area. We have been going a lot of days others weren't. Once again, the dryer is the best piece of equipment we own. Know of some guys that didn't take stuff off that was 15-16% a couple weeks ago because they don't have a dryer. Geese got a bit of the barley, but not bad, they moved on to the neighbors pea ground. On the bright side, the barley we got off early should make good seed, if this is any indication!
 

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#10 ·
Harvest weather????!!!!!:22::22::22: Once again, the dryer is the best piece of equipment we own. Know of some guys that didn't take stuff off that was 15-16% a couple weeks ago because they don't have a dryer.
15-16% isn’t even thought twice about combining around here. Even on a good year.
That’s considered dry by most people around here
 
#12 ·
Certainly been a wet summer and seems to be carrying over into fall now, just was gifted with another 3/4 inch rain in the last 48 hours. Some ground was starting to stiffen up a bit, sure lots of ruts around where guys been swathing and the few combining. Tried working some summerfallow a couple weeks back and if it hadn't been for that it is broken sod wouldn't have went 100 feet without getting stuck from water coming out of the side of ridge its on, thats a high water peculiarity in a few spots in this area. Tried hauling some gravel and once I got down about four feet the water was running in almost as fast as I could scoop out the sand and rock. As I said about the ridge thing and the summerfallow, well this is on top of the ridge opposite the summerfallow one with my lake bottom in between. Then after a few load my road across the field gave out. Neighbors are happy I sell by the load and not the pound as everyone else, had water running out the bottom of the belly dump lol. Other than about a week and half in late August, been never more than a few days at a stretch without some rain since early June. As for general area....second growth coming horribly in most cereals where storms knocked it down, rest of it is there alright, some places incredible growth, but need some heat to get things finished. Combines, straw choppers and the balers with be working. Myself have Derby oats over five feet high. Most peas swathed, some combined. Canola green green green but some is cut. Only cereals combined this far is high moisture for feed, least any that I know of.

I hate to ***** about it, yea its causing me grief, but I know others are in worse shape, have escaped frost here thus far, I know for a fact that further north they haven't and things are really late...and when you get up into that north country like GP and further, they are simply running out of time for good weather to do anything.
 
#13 · (Edited)
We got going Sunday afternoon, my 9230 made it halfway around the field unloaded the hopper and DEF coded. I contacted a guy that does deletes and had it going a few hours later and managed to take off about 12,000 bushels testing from 14.4-16.0 moisture before we ran into too must have green. About the only positive about this weather is that the canola is maturing slowly and there is no panic to swath the next field. We have 2 percent in the bin. Forklift
 
#14 ·
Barley was off early and dry along with some #1 wheat which was swathed. Have lots of tough wheat on aeration, wish now that we had a dryer. Rest of the wheat is standing but I hear talk of sprouting now. The last load delivered graded #2 but we have had an inch of rain since so we're likely headed for #3 or feed. A bit of canola in the bin, the rest in swaths. We're just over half done...about average for the immediate area. Better than average barley and wheat yields but canola yield rather disappointing.
 
#15 ·
Just thought i would chime in here since it seems fitting. With such terrible conditions in western canada for harvest and **** prices, i can ony imagine how much stress alot of you are dealing with. Remeber there is always someone listening and always someone to talk to if you need. Alot of mental health support available if you need it. I have dealt with this with my son, and it can be trying. It gets better if you ask for help.
 
#17 ·
Nothing like an Ag report to move prices, whether or not the data is accurate is irrelevant.

About 4" of rain in last few weeks and so about 11" since spring which puts us above average. Been cool and cloudy pretty much all season if you are to compare to what is normal. Got the peas off, they were hailed on and sitting on mud but fairly dry. Tried the Metcalfe barley and running 70bpa over the 4% of seeded acres I got off so best barley crop I ever seen. Can't see it possibly making malt and that won't likely matter since malt quality hasn't mattered for about 12 months now when marketing. Probably because they can malt any barley if they want to.
My mustard is a fricking mess. I got a new range of weeds coming every few weeks. Best crop of pigweed I've grown too. Now I see nice big green volunteer barley heads waving at me. Sprayed Centurion June 25 to get the volunteers that came with the first rains so this flush came in early July. Though I never seen 8 seeds per pod in yellow mustard and 6-8 is pretty much normal this year so will be interesting to see what yield is and how many acres the weeds take away. The pod forms a double row when you get past 3-4 seeds.

But we may have a nice fall yet. Been looking at the news articles telling us of the warm water mass off west coast so that may keep temps up a bit later in season, though possibly comes with extra moisture. Of course those articles are reminding us of how hot it is everywhere - just don't look at your crop stage anywhere in the grain belts because mother nature is clearly a poor indicator of heat units compared to science.
 
#19 ·
We get the Drew Lerner report every day and he has nailed this erratic weather pattern since the middle of June and it has been the same every day since. Very unpredictable. I keep using the term "make hay when the sun shines" and it seems more relevant than ever. We have been consistently upgrading our combine capacity to try to bin the crop when it is ready. Long gone are the days we were able to grind out a dry crop with one little combine. We very rarely take off dry grain anymore. We go as soon as it can get it through the machines. All bins have air which we keep getting bigger fans, breakers, cords, and heaters. I am constantly re-amazed at how much green crap will go through a straight cutting combine. My young sons accept this weather as they have known nothing else. Just me thinking of the good ol' days, which probably weren't really as good as I remember.
 
#20 ·
Well today bly finally hit a moisture that was readable on a chart. Took 2 days after the rain, and sun partly and breeze all day today. Tried at 11 am and was off the chart. Tried at 2pm and I extrapolated the chart to 22% moisture. Tried again after supper and was 18.3. Took 1300 bu off and the sun went down and straw became instantly unmanageable. I hope tomorrow gets me in the field before noon. Heads are ready to fall off this bly on some of my acres and some peas are shelling. According to the weatherman I have 3 more days until next rain.
 
#21 ·
You know it's getting bad when you are happy to just be able to test it. Tries barley and canola Friday afternoon, couldn't even get a number on the dial on the moisture meter.:43:
 
#23 ·
No exceptionally big rains here, just too many small ones to get going. I've got some 20% wheat I combined 2 weeks ago that is just getting down to 17% on air (just above floor) and yes I've been turning it the best I can. Only 25% done with all the canola and half the wheat still in the swath. Soys are still standing and staying green. Sounds like we might get 2 more days to run this week if the ground gets dry enough to run on. Most guys around here are picking up what they can dry, but some of my neighbors haven't got a bushel in the bin yet.
 

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#24 ·
I did one field where it took 2 combines 6 days to finish. Dew finally burnt off around supper so you go 3 hours till sunset and then park. Grain has all come off dry but straw just wont go through. This year has already been the most separator hours I've had and haven't started beans yet
 
#25 ·
Nice day today and bly is still testing 18.3 then 19 on next field. Heads are all pointed straight down. Ripe is an understatement but the dryer has another 8000 bu of wet bly to dry. Quit and tried peas after supper and 18%. I would have taken them sooner but the straw was still chewy bad from the ground being damp still. Nothing sticking to the tires much but leaving imprints with my rice tires lug deep. I have a contract for a couple bins of peas that will feed olysky's pigs and splits don't matter there. Very fortunate to have the feed mill here. No railroad but at least there is a market for feed grains. I wanted a barn close to me for the access of the fertilizer you can get from it. Too many people were against it so the barn went elsewhere. The places where the farmers grow huge crops with minimal inputs are where the barns are lol.
 
#26 ·
Beautiful rain last night with unreal amounts of lightning for this time of year. Another harvest that is getting old fast. We’ve only done about 100ac of barley so far. Haven’t swathed any canola yet, maybe start tomorrow...I am thinking I need a dryer...but as dad says, “it’s only September, monsoon season”....
 
#37 ·
Years ago I went to a friends wedding in Domremy and closest I could get a hotel room was Wakaw, was half cut and was three in the morning when I was heading south back to my room in Wakaw for the what was left of the nite when I saw that horizon wide lightning show way off in the distance for the first time ever. Was clear as a bell where I was. Intrigued me to the point of pulling over and jumped up on the hood of the Suburban leaned back on the windshield and smoked a cigar while watching the show. Scheesh thats gotta be well over 30 years ago now, how time flies.
 
#29 ·
Doing barley now, very mature like dookillers. Everything going good yesterday, straight cutting testing around 14.8. Crazy high humidity last night but forecast on radio all day said good weather till weekend. Perfect, should be able to hit field today and take off dry then. Get up this morning and fog. Water dripping off combine. Wait till 2 pm and go back into field with overcast 22 deg 80% humidity and barley standing like a pyramid in hopper. Combine moisture meter says 15 ish, look at barley and its sprouted like crazy, and test weight way down. There was some sprouts yesterday but now they catch on the mesh grid on the swing auger and I have to continuously move the barley to get it through the 3" mesh. Never seen barley go south in a day. Bench tester says 19. I think the sprouts mess with the sensor on the combine. A total crap crop of barley out there now.
 
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