Looking over years past it is about now each year that the farmers in the Tisdale blast out into their fields to swath and combine the year's crop. But it looks like it is going to be a while this year. The easiest way to tell when its time for harvest is not to look at the fields but to check out the farm yards and see the machinery being readied and when you discover that there are no farmers around to talk to because they are all getting ready you know harvest is in the air. That time is still a way off this year, as I drove through the country side this morning I saw some haying underway which is usually a June / early July thing but little else.
The wheat crop at the top of the page is fairly typical for the land just north east of Tisdale and it could be as much as two weeks before that crop is either swathed or straight combined.
Peas are a bit different story. This crop of peas (above) is getting close to the point where farmers might pour on the chemicals to stop all growth and begin the harvest process.
The problem is the lack of heat. This was a cool spring, almost cold summer and the crops have just had a tough time getting through it and developing. Now we are looking at least a week of rain and cooler temperatures which is definitely not going to push things along. For those farmers who planted later than the fields you see in these pictures and most areas to the east of town were at least two weeks later that will push harvest into late September with the shorter days and constant threat of rain.
This barley crop (above) looks like it is getting there but there is still a lot of green to be seen and remember, barley is one of the first crops to be harvested. Though this crop is turning gold the heads need to fill out because local barley crops are normally very heavy by now with the tops hanging down.
Though this Canola crop (above) has finished flowering there are still crops all around that are still in full bloom. This one is now in the process of filling its pods and will need several weeks of warm weather to complete its cycle.
Below we have what looks like a variety of bearded wheat and with warm weather could ripen quite quickly.
All of these crops were found to the north west of town not more that six miles to the north. This area was the first each year to get their crops in the ground and then to get the harvest underway.
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Editor : Timothy W. Shire |