In a rain delay
Wheat cutting stalls after rains return
Staff writer
After a brief start last week, the wheat harvest has been stalled by heavy weekend rains.
The Cooperative Grain and Supply elevator at Marion received its first two loads of wheat on Friday.
Hillsboro took a few deliveries Thursday evening. After 0.1 of an inch of rain Friday morning, some farmers were able to get back in the fields by afternoon.
The coop took in 25,000 bushels. Grain coordinator Dick Tippin said the grain was dry and tested higher than the full test weight of 60 pounds.
The area had 4½ inches of rain over the weekend, Tippin said, putting harvest on hold.
Agri Trails Coop at Tampa received one load Saturday that was harvested Friday. Manager Roger Will said the grain tested above the 14.5 percent moisture level that is considered dry. He said weekend precipitation ranged from 2½ to 3½ inches.
“Hopefully, we can get going again later this week,” he said.
Chuck Knight, manager of Mid-Kansas Co-op elevator in Peabody, said he received six loads on Friday. Some were partial loads as farmers were cutting samples.
Knight said he had a 5-inch rain gauge and it was running over Saturday morning. Others reported up to 11 inches.
“I couldn’t even get to the elevator,” Knight said. “The wheat that came in Friday weighed over 60 pounds, but it won’t be that good anymore.”
Tippin thought the rain had not hurt the quality of the wheat crop at this point because it is early in the harvest season and some fields are not yet ripe.