For Some, Local Harvest Twice As Long

While everyone was out in the field, Wanda Hagstrom provided an update on harvest from the southern part of Kimball County. She said that harvest was "slow and patchy, which is unusual for us." She indicated that harvest this year would take twice as long.

They started last Friday with four loads of seed wheat, and Saturday they cut regular wheat that went to town. She said Sunday was pretty good, "but they had to go find some dry stuff."

The Hagstroms cut their own wheat with one combine and 2 semis and a couple of farm trucks to get everything to town.

The farm is south of Kimball and 2 miles west. In addition to wheat, they have proso millet. Mrs. Hagstrom said the proso millet looks good but "could stand a drink without hail."

Central Banner County got a "huge drink" on Thursday. A large area around Double L Country Store received a horrendous rain on Thursday afternoon, a week ago.

Joel Cross reported that they received over 5 inches of rain in a little more than one hour.

"I never had this much water come through this yard," he said.

They were just ready to start cutting some wheat and it began to sprinkle, then it drenched them.

He said it came in torrents and the storm seemed to stall over that area. Some places received Ping Pong sized hail while others only had to deal with the downpour. Cross said they got a little hail on some ground north of him but nothing too bad.

Cross said he and his sons put their organic wheat in the bin with no air, "so it's gotta to be dry." They did think they could cut west of their place because it didn't rain there at all. He said he had some "dang good wheat."

They also have proso millet and other feed for cattle. He predicted an early freeze but knows many producers need the freeze to hold off for quite a while.