15 Jun Rain delays cause slow harvesting

As wet weather plagued wheat country this past weekend, many crews are struggling to find dry wheat. Scott Clark has returned with with a guest blog report on the harvesting efforts of Clark Farms Harvesting. The crew had made their way to Kansas as significant rains fell on the Sunflower State.

The crew has been struggling with finding grain dry enough to harvest. After receiving a half-inch of rain Tuesday night, and another shower Thursday morning; harvesting has been at a near standstill in the area.

Luckily, our farmer has his crop spread over 45 miles around Enid, Okla., and the crew has been able to move equipment around to find drier grain to cut. Usually by late afternoon, the moisture is less than 14 percent and the combines can go to work. Since Monday, the accumulated rainfall for the area is over two and a half inches and the crew has only harvested 1,200 acres. The test weight has dropped to 56 to 59 pounds, and the yields have remained around 30 bushels per acre. Ground conditions have been wet, and terrace channels are muddy.

Saturday, yet again, the crew got rained out for the day just after they got started. After letting the fields dry out some, the men will go out Sunday to get a couple of combines to load up. Due to the rain, we will have to split the crew up, leaving two machines to finish the job and taking two north to Kiowa, Kan., to begin harvesting in that area.

Assuming that it doesn’t rain tonight or tomorrow, the crew should be done in Kremlin Monday night and will be on the road to catch up with the other crew by Tuesday.

The crop in Kiowa looks good with expected yields of 40 to 60 bushels. However the forecast shows a strong chance for rain on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Once the rain ceases for more than a day and harvest at Kiowa takes off, I’ll update everyone on the crop conditions. There’s not much to speak of when it rains except the appreciation the crew has for getting a few extra hours of sleep.

Three combines make the run through the field. 

The combine rolls through the field, it was a little sticky.

The field was too wet for the trucks.

For more information e-mail crew@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.