by PAUL RAYNER

The rather unusual last six months we have had may have left heads scratching, and perhaps made a few people curse, but it has contributed to a pretty good harvest in 2009.

“Everything is going good,” said Bob Wilson of Paterson Grain in Boissevain. “We were disappointed in the rain on Friday (September 11), but we have made progress and will make more. Most of the farmers around here are half completed and it’s a phenomenal crop. All crops are yielding above what we even hoped for.”

From the standpoint of timing, Wilson said farmers are a little behind. There are many years where everything is more or less wrapped up by this point, and he figures everything is backed up a couple of weeks this fall.

However, things are looking very well. The main reason, Wilson feels, is the summer situation many others have been complaining about.

“I think it is because it was a cool summer again. This is two years in a row. The cereals do well and the canola does well. There has been no flax come in yet, but it is sure to be good. We certainly did not get an abundance of moisture, but obviously it was enough.”

As well, the warm fall has helped both to mature crops and help get them in.

“We are a little behind in harvest,” Wilson stated, “but now we have summer.”

The yields he has seen and heard about are well above average. For example, the canola is coming in at between 40 bushels an acre to more than 60, with a likely average around 50 bushels an acre.

“Normally, it averages 30 bushels an acre. A good crop is 40 and an exceptional is 50. We’re pretty sure it will average at least 50 this year. The exceptional will be our average.”

Barley is seeing yields range from 80-115 bushels, with oats up to 140. Red spring wheat is ranging between 40-80 bushels an acre, the highest number, Wilson stated, is unheard of in this area.

“There is still a lot to go, but the yields are just tremendous, way above normal.”

If there is a fault, he said, it was that the red spring wheat is showing a lower protein, for reasons he does not know. It is a bumper crop, Wilson said, with more bushels, but the protein is a negative. Still, the overall quality is good. As well, the heavy rain last Friday may have dropped some of the wheat in the field from #1 to #2.

Also, commodity prices are falling. He said wheat is a lot softer than this time last year, and everything is sliding.

“Things are as much as a couple of dollars a bushel lower than last year.”

Some were able to lock in a few things at the higher prices, and many, Wilson said, are kicking themselves for not doing it.

Nonetheless, things look very good this year.

“It is not just one guy, but there are multiple guys with these high yields,” he said. “It will make up for the lower prices, for sure.”

It is in some ways quite similar to last year. It was cool and dry much of the early part of the spring and summer of 2008, although in that case warmer weather did come, as did timely rains. This year, Wilson said, they had higher expectations to some degree, but they were met and more.

“I don’t think this is as much of a surprise as last year, but it is even better quality and better yields.”

If the weather holds, Wilson feels the bulk of the crops will be finished in a couple of weeks, with flax and sunflowers being a little later. But keeping it warm and dry is the key.

“Things will go quick,” he explained.  “These guys take it off quickly. But it is just essential the weather stays good. It speeds everything up. It helps the guys get going and they can run later. It is not a normal September. It is more like August. If there is no rain, everybody will be happy.”

“They will be dog tired, but they’ll be happy.”