October 3, 2024
Blaine County - Raymond Keller
Harvest is all in. Crops were average to above average. Seeding winter wheat and should finish this week. With the nice weather and moisture, we've been busy. There is lots of spraying to be done now. Moisture conditions have been good. We have received 3 inches of precipitation within the last month.
Carter County - Michael Hansen
Finished seeding winter wheat on September 26th. Super hard and really dry...most will not even sprout. Did luck out with about 800 acres. Got a wild thunderstorm right after I got it seeded and ended up with an inch of rain on it, but it’s been 95 degrees and wind blowing every day since so that moisture is gone. Ground was so hard the discs on the drill were breaking in half and gauge wheels were cracking. Started preconditioning calves and hauling some hay bales. Getting machinery cleaned up and put away for the winter. Having to buy some hay because we didn’t make near enough. Water holes are getting really low and cows will probably have to come off of summer pasture earlier than normal. Calves and cows look decent enough for the year they have had. Moisture conditions have been poor. We have received zero to an inch of precipitation depending on where you were within the last month.
Fergus County - Robert Bold
Two more days of seeding winter wheat left. The couple plus inches of rain in September made all the difference for seeding winter wheat into good conditions. Stubble spraying next week. Probably ruin my elk food plots. There is chatter of several states banning or going to ban foreign ownership of US farm land in the name of national security. History tells me that, for example, the Romans and Spanish Conquistadors took back home gold, plunder, and slaves to Rome and Spain. I am not aware of them or anyone else ever taking a single square mile of land back to the home land. When I started farming--not that many years ago you guys--there were over 15 farm tractor manufacturers in the US and Canada. Today there are 4, of which 3 are foreign owned. Over the years, the farm tractors have evolved to the current sophisticated level that only that equipment line can diagnose and/or repair that tractor. Who would drive a Toyota, a F150, or Chevy if only the dealership could plug in a reader and diagnose the problem at hand? But today NAPA and Car Quest can. Who would drive a Peterbuilt if when you had trouble on the road, you could not take it to a Kenworth or Freightliner dealership for diagnosis and possible repair? Technology has given us the convenience of diagnosis and possible repairs of tractor, combine, corn planter etc from our cell phones. We have made our country's food supply more susceptible to possible food production shut downs. A recent successful demonstration of this was a couple years ago when Ukraine made the great Russian ag equipment heist non useable. The application of and the technology itself is portable to possible ill wishers. A section of ag land can not be hacked or transported. To answer in advance a possible question: No Annette & I are not going back to the 1930 American Gothic oil painting of a wife in an apron standing with her farmer husband in bib overalls holding his pitch fork. Just thoughts from someone with too much time sitting in a tractor seat. Moisture conditions have been good.
Gallatin County - Dale Flikkema
Hope to plant 200 acres of HRW and 150 of winter triticale. Some small grains are still out in the field. Corn chopping is well under way. 3rd cutting hay is getting put up very nicely. Potato harvest is about 1/2 way done. Pre weaning shots for the calves. Cheatgrass is present at this time. Moisture conditions have been good. We have received 2 inches of precipitation within the last month.
Hill County - Trevor Wolery
Took 35 days but finally finished with fall planting last night. Welcomed rain delays with a total of 2.75 inches of precipitation throughout the month of September along with 2 inches in August made for phenomenal sowing conditions. Conditions say to keep the drill rolling but the calendar says to park it. My stubble now needs immediate attention! Check your bins because I learnt the hard way last week. Have a great Fall! Moisture conditions have been excellent.
Judith Basin County - Greg Mathews
Will finish up fall seeding on Saturday, the last of September. Seeding has really taken off, right after the monsoon storm last week. Rain from 1.60 to over 5 inches in the area, with over 8 inches at Crystal Lake. Most received between 3 to 4.5 inches. No flooding or damage reported. The ground dried out fast as some started seeding 2 days after the rain quit. Summer fallow greening up and will have to spray it next week the first of October. Everyone seems to be very busy. There are still some hoppers around and eating the new green leaves. Moisture conditions have been good.
Northern Yellowstone/Eastern Stillwater County - Michelle Jones
We’re done seeding...finished late last week. It is our usual winter wheat acres. Aside from the heat - not a lot to complain about. Was talking to my dad the other day and we were talking about its amazing how hot we’ve been but still have gotten 3-5” of rain since mid-August...But it’s not taking long to dry out the top inch or two. The wheat seeded before the first rains definitely popped right out of the ground. Moisture conditions have been fair. We have received 3-5 inches of precipitation within the last month.
Teton County - Mitch Konen
Fall seeding was finalized last week and spraying is the order of the day these days. Most of the equipment has been put to bed indoors. Will do some field work this fall to lighten the load come spring. Will be doing some work on equipment to keep it in good working order. Need to get some hay delivered as well as some barley. Always something to do...like getting the desk cleaned off and dealing with bills and records keeping. Moisture conditions have been fair. We have received 1.16 inches of precipitation within the last month.
