Weather Finally Cooperates for Harvesting

June 17, 2010

(NEAR BENTLEY, Kan.)

The Kansas wind brings in the heat, and the wheat harvest. Thursday marked the beginning of it for parts of South Central Kansas, days behind schedule.

Any farmer will tell you: you don't cut based on the calendar week. You harvest based on the look of the wheat.

"It just depends on the weather," said Ryan Speer. "You never know when you're going to get to start." And from his combine seat, Speer has a good view.

The sandy soil of his wheat fields in June makes it hard to believe there was a rainy May. And that made for rain-dampened expectations. "You know, I guess my expectations a month, month and a half ago was 30, 35 bushel an acre. It's bumping 40 to 50."

Each grain his combine pours into his truck will bring money. But the entire truck will bring him fewer than $4,000, about half of what last year's harvest brought.

That grain goes to the Sedgwick Co-Op. "It's going good, it just got started," said Bill Perkins. "We haven't got much wheat in yet; about 5,000 bushels. But its looking pretty good."

Thursday is the first day of the 2010 harvest for Perkins and his staff. "At times, we'll take in a 100,000 bushels a day," he said. "When it gets really busy."

Speer said "a week to 10 days of this kind of weather, the wheat will go away in a hurry." And all that Kansas wind and sun will keep Speer, Perkins, and others busy -- for as long as the wheat looks good.

It's a week or so later than normal. Good strong Kansas wind and heat should allow more farmers into their fields soon.

This is one of the first days they've been able to get into the formerly wet fields.

Look for more on this story tonight on Eyewitness News at 10:00.

|

|

|