Producers grateful for rain despite moisture leading to delayed season wrap-up
Kolton Brown says he can’t really complain about this year’s crop.
Brown, whose family farms in the Nanton area, says yields across the board have improved in 2024. His family farm and those nearby got more rain than most.
“Barley was very good, wheat was good, canola was good, peas were good,” he told Postmedia.
“It’s going to make paying bills a little easier,” said Brown. “At least it’s trending upwards, so that’s good.”
As Brown was finishing up harvesting a field of barley north of Nanton, about 70 kilometres south of Calgary, he said Tuesday he needed a couple of days to wrap the season, waiting on a field of canola to ripen.
Farmers have been harvesting canola when the weather co-operates, with producers having to wait for the crop to dry, according to the latest Alberta crop report, released Friday. In southern Alberta, canola was listed last week as being 64.7 per cent harvested, says the report, which details crop conditions as of Sept. 24.
In southern Alberta, an estimated 85.7 per cent of all crops in the south had been harvested as of last week, up 1.1 per cent from the five-year average and 7.1 per cent from the 10-year average.
During harvest, Brown said “a fair bit” of rain fell in the Nanton area.
“Usually, I’d like to be done by now,” he said. “It’s been a bit of a longer harvest for us I would say.”
Other farmers in the area likely need between two days and a week in the field to finish bringing in their crops, dragging along a bit longer than most producers would have liked, said Brown.
But no one’s complaining about the moisture, he added.
“It’s hopefully adding to that moisture bank for next year,” said Brown.
Friday’s crop report said widespread precipitation across the province has improved surface soil moisture conditions. In southern Alberta, about 44 per cent of surface soil was rated good to excellent.
Provincial sub-surface moisture levels have continued to recharge thanks to frequent precipitation and lower temperatures, says the report. In the south, 36 per cent of sub-surface moisture was rated at good to excellent, an improvement of 11 per cent over the previous week.
Weather permitting, potato farmers will be finishing up their harvest this weekend, on track with past years, said Terence Hochstein, executive director of the Potato Growers of Alberta.
“Last year we had a bumper crop; this year we’re back to average,” he said, adding it will be a month before he knows exactly how the crop turned out.
Potato growers can’t hit a home run every year, said Hochstein, but the potato industry continues to grow, he added.
“It’s feeding the globe. It’s not just feeding here,” he said. “The demand is there.”