Harvest Moves North Finally

It’s been right at a week since the area wheat harvest got underway. A check of the harvest progress in the Beloit and eastern half of Mitchell County areas shows producers have been cutting, but only those with fields south of a line east and west starting about 5-miles south of Beloit. Those with fields north of that line took their first tentative steps just yesterday.

Farmway Coop Central Hub Manager Alan Tillberg said the line separating those who have been cutting and those who just got started was determined by Mother Nature.

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Tillberg said test weights range between 58-and-61 and the wheat has been dry. He also said there has been a wide range in protein levels 10-to-14%.

As for the Strip Rust impact – Tillberg said it’s easy to identify the producers who used a fungicide because their wheat is testing a couple of pounds heavier.

Tillberg estimates the producers in his service area have about 25-to-30% of their harvest completed.

I also traveled to Lincoln County yesterday where I talked with Vesper area farmer Richard Ancell.

Ancell’s harvest crews started cutting this past Monday and have brought in a crop yielding a whopping 60-bushels an acre. Ancell says some fields brought in nearly 70-bushels an acre.

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Ancell says he’s got a good crop and so far he’s been happy with Mother Nature saying, “We’ve really dodged the bullet so far.”

Ancell says, if the weather holds, he could be done cutting by the weekend. He estimates producers in his area are 30-to-40% done.