14 Aug Janel: Back in wheat country

North Dakota — Doesn’t it feel great to go somewhere where they know you? I’ve been cutting wheat in this part of North Dakota for about 15 years now. It’s so nice to be greeted with a, “Hey, how are you doing?” That goes a long ways when somebody is friendly. North Dakota is my favorite on our harvest run.

I just got here, and the crops look good. The winter wheat is making 65 to 85 bushels per acre. There is a lot of spring wheat and canola here. It’s nice to be back in wheat country! I love seeing wheat fields stretching across the landscape.

I just came from South Dakota. It wasn’t any good for me this year. The state is full of dryland corn. There is corn almost everywhere there. That is starvation for a wheat harvester. I remember while growing up that South Dakota was full of wheat and sunflowers, and it was so beautiful. The spring wheat I have is super late this year so it’s a big time messed up timing issue.

Our crews out in Montana are still staying very busy harvesting wheat. The yields have been good except for the hailed wheat, which averaged 35 bushels per acre. The weather has been hot and dry. Our forecast continues to stay hot, in the 90s and mostly dry.

Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.

Thank you to our 2024 All Aboard Wheat Harvest sponsors: High Plains Journal, Kramer Seed Farms, Lumivia by Corteva Agriscience, Merit Auctions, Shelbourne Reynolds, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc.