Englefeld farmer puts harvest on pause after three inches of rain

Moellenbeck said they had started swathing canola before the rain. He said that it’ll survive the wet weather although it doesn’t do well in windy conditions.

When he can get back into the field will depend on sunshine and wind.

“In about four days, five days, you’ll see a lot of guys trying to take a test here and there just to kind of see where everything is at. I’m hoping by the weekend maybe we can start picking away at it again.”

Moellenbeck said the weather is always a challenge. He said the 2016 harvest was extremely difficult, but farmers managed to get the crop in.

“That was the year most of the province ended up with snow the first couple days of October. We ended up with a lot of snow, and it took a couple weeks for that to dry off and finally at the end of October everyone was going again.”

This is Moellenbeck’s 45th crop, and he’s experienced all kinds of weather over the years. He believes most farming operations prepare for less-than-ideal conditions.

“For the most part, I think guys are watching their numbers close enough that they can take a bit of a hit here and there. But I think just because we’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s something that we always have factored into our crop planning. We can have some difficult weeks, and we know it will pass sooner or later.”

He said it’s been a long time since he has overwintered crops.

“When it comes to cereal grains or canola, we’ve always been able to get it in the bin. Once it’s in the bin, then you start your marketing go from there.”

Moellenbeck remains optimistic.

“It’ll get dry again. If this weather is going to be that much of a drain on you, then you may have to rethink your career choice,” he said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Pattison Media

Englefeld farmer puts harvest on pause after three inches of rain

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