Do not be shocked if you pass by farmers putting in a little extra time in their fields this weekend as the winter wheat crop prepares for harvest. According to last week’s USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, 37 percent of the winter wheat crop was harvested, five days behind last year’s pace and three days behind the five-year average. Rio Creek Feed Mill agronomist Adam Barta says that is partly due to the wet weather the area experienced, which prevented farmers from planting on time. Early in the process this year, Barta says the wheat crop was better than they had expected.
What is coming off the field is also in better condition than the week prior, jumping from 72 percent to 76 percent being rated as good to excellent. Looking ahead, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a cool, dry fall for Wisconsin. Barta says he is not sure how accurate the almanac is on average, but he hopes that with timely rains along the way, corn and soybeans continue to develop as they should and that the weather allows those crops to get off the fields on time.
