Snow

[freewheat]

Well we got that snow on Monday night after a half inch of rain. Went to Saskatoon yesterday, left at 9 AM. Was a couple inches on the ground when we left. Got to Clair, west of Wadena, and no snow. We are 25 miles from having missed it. Came home at 11 PM. The snow had not melted a bit.

Just an example of how much of an anomaly this little region is. It was 7 in Saskatoon yesterday, and dry. I assume with the lack of snow melt here, our high was no more than plus half. I am always amazed that a place like Saskatchewan with all it's mountains and climate blocking features, ( ) can have SUCH different condition only 150 miles apart that it is like another country.

I give this update, because you all are rooting for me. Thought I would let you know the situation again. Forecast looks like it will melt in theory. But it needs to stay dry after that for a time...

I also did some serious mathematics, and so long as I get the beans, we should squeeze by. Won't be easy, but we have been here before.

Thanks for the well wishes.

Riders, are you doing ok in your area?

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Freewheat, I feel your pain, in a similar situation here too in many ways, significantly different climate than just 10 miles east, many more challenges. Have mountains and elevation to blame though.

Still have most of my canola to harvest. And what I have done has been a nightmare to get through the combine, and very tough.

I believe you stated that you straight cut all of your cereals due to the wet fall weather, is that right? I do the same, for the same reasons. I now also try straight cutting all of my canola for the same reasons. Perhaps that was a mistake this year, but I'm convinced, that standing amongst snow is better than swathed under snow. And a daily shower or snow flurry like we are getting lately, doesn't change the moisture hardly at all. Too late for this year, but have you considered the straight cut option?

FWIW, if not for cows, hay, salvaging hailed, frozen or drowned crops as feed, and winter off farm employment, I'd likely be making the same post as your last one by now. It has been quite a run of catastrophes around here too.

[SASKFARMER3]

Guys were down to 240 of oats! Your both right just 5 miles south of me had no rain on Sunday and no measurable snow I would be done if I left my southern crop and did by the yard! Go figure! Sun is out and a bit of rain 21 on the oats we will go today!

[riders2010]

Not good here either. Guys have canola standing and swath also barley standing. Canary and flax standing and swathed. Swathed stuff is half a swath of mush.

Biggest problem is can't put the combine in the field it's that wet. So don't know what to wish for. Wish for cold and if there is precip then it ll be snow wish for warm and it s gonna take a long time to dry the base enough.

[freewheat]

I hear you riders. I dunno what to wish for either. Warm for a week then cold maybe? At least today the snow is leaving, it got to plus 8.

Yeah I have thought of straight cutting canola. I actually left about 15 acres as a test to see what happens. But I grew a poor variety for it and it hailed on me too, so it was not a nice even, well knit crop.

Forecast is pretty poor. Temps ok for this time of year, but it sure looks damp and non drying.

[nicolaas]

overwintered a few crops over the years; cereals standing went down, used lifters or a flex header in the spring.(less deer crap, mouse damage). Swathed canola, doable and ran no.1. Standing canola will be 99% shelled out by spring. I remember burning one in the spring, as it was not worth combining. That was 25 years ago, so varieties may be better? There may be some opportunities to come if November is open.

[fjlip]

As I've said before, 2009 October was snow and rain, Nov turned a 180 and was short plus 10 days and stuff dried. Don't think any was standing, all swathed because we all thought winter was here. In this area at least HALF of the canola was combined in Nov, mostly 14-20% and dried. If it would have stayed over winter some would have been bankrupt by spring. Cold is okay just not near zero with snow. Usually COLDER here, you know that freewheat.

[farmaholic]

Like someone else once said, there are options.

Sell and move, but you will find every area comes with it's own set of challenges. And you may dislike the new ones more than your old ones.

You mentioned some others are done in your area, emulate what they are doing but on your scale or to the best of your ability.

Take a page out of grassfarmer's book. Convert almost completely to livestock and let them do the work and harvesting. Is there still programming for fencing and dugouts? You can always flip back to grain if you want.

I haven't walked a step in your shoes so currently I have no idea what you're dealing with. My comments are non-judgmental or critical, just suggestive.

I heard a good one the other day. Some one said Mother Nature is/can be a cruel cranky bitch and needs a holiday. Time for Father Nature to step in and take over.

Sometimes despite the most valiant efforts, forces beyond our control can't be overcome, we are powerless when it comes to nature. We work with the rules it makes, the rules change often and when nature wants...

Best of luck, don't let pride stand in your way and accept any help offered/provided/available, private
or public.

If where you squat is family/homestead land I can understand the passion for it, it seems to define us or becomes part of us....a legacy. Our nemisis here would be drought/dryer tendency compared to you. In the dry eighties we were likely sucking hind tit and having trouble finding it, compared to you. There are probably few true garden spots or utopias farming.

Take Care.

[SASKFARMER3]

funny today I took some of the advise and looked around. Most neighbours farm from 6 to 30 quarters around me. My old big Time neighbours, One Earth and Broad Acres are long gone. So its going to boil down to one quarter not finished for 2015. We got another 1/2 last night and looks like more on way tonight. Mud for freeze up again. Hopefully my black fields will be dryer in spring 2016.
What started as the earliest harvest has turned into the longest. Still hoping for one more day. Maybe will happen but if every rain has hit all year why would the pattern change now.

[Lex]

Snow came and went. Then 2 tenths of rain. Just started to dry off on Friday and got another tenth overnight and another tenth last night.

I have 950 acres of hemp left to go. The 50 acres I did so far caused two small combine fires. We didn't have that problem last year, although we were cutting straw off the cylinder shaft after every hopper. This year we can't do a whole hopper without it lighting up.

A friend is going to bring his three New Holland CX8080 combines over to help if it dries or freezes. Those combines have a really good reputation for doing hemp. We also have a newer model Lexion coming from the dealer to try out. It's a 670 with a solid cylinder drum. I hope the hemp will not be able to get to the cylinder shaft with that design. I'm also taking the cylinder out of my 460 and closing it in on the ends. We changed to high inertia sunnybrook cylinders on our combines last year but they are open for the last 4 inches on the ends and did nothing to stop the wrapping.

We did all of our flax in November about 10 years ago. It was swathed and tested 14%. Returns were continually plugging and lots of unthreshed bolls but we got it done. We didn't have a dryer and had to haul it all over to Moose Jaw and back for drying.

I suspect we'll be drying all this hemp as well. But the hemp is standing and it's an oilseed so there is a chance it could dry.

[countryguy]

Lex is there anything left of that hemp? I lost a lot to shelling weeks ago when I was doing mine. By now there would have been nothing left!! By the way been growing it since the first year it was legal and this year for some reason was the toughest harvesting ever.

[Lex]

Variety is X-59. This variety does not shell. Period! This is our 6th year gtowing hemp and yes this seems to be an extrordinarily difficult harvest year!