April 23, 2024
Carter County - Michael Hansen
Just started seeding barley April 19. We were supposed to get a big rain last Monday, but it went southeast of us. Which is probably ok because it was time to start seeding and the gumbo is plenty wet from our earlier rains. But rain totals for Belle Fourche, SD were around two inches. Instead, we ended up with a foot of wind over the last four days. Gusts to sixty a few days and cold temperatures put everyone in a sour mood. Cows are starting to pick up the pace on calving and the grass is really growing. Moisture conditions have been good. There has not been any precipitation since last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Durum, Barley, Garbanzos, Canola, Mustard, Oats, Hay, and Hay barley. Winter wheat is in the tillering growth stage. Barley is in the germinating growth stage. Wind is a weather concern for me.
Fergus County - Boyd Heilig
We are at the halfway point for seeding. Last week was cold and wet so we didn’t get much accomplished. We hope to have a productive week. Moisture conditions have been good. We have received .45 inches of precipitation since last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Spring wheat, Barley, and Canola. Winter wheat is in the tillering growth stage. Spring wheat is in the germinating growth stage. Barley is in the 1-leaf growth stage. Last week’s low temperatures didn’t do any good for the wheat and definitely didn’t help the barley as it had emerged.
Fergus County - Robert Bold
We have started seeding. Thought we would be done seeding over the weekend. Well, a trip to Cummins cost 2 days of seeding with one of the tractors. Even with the record setting cold for daily highs last week, everything seeded pretty well. It surprised me that even with the very cold days and nights, the soil temperature dropped only a couple of degrees. The soil never got below 40 degrees. However, the tractors would get quite cranky in the mornings, so we took a generator out to the field and plugged them in. Someone in Arizona saw the picture of the tractors plugged in and congratulated me for going electric. "It is just the thing to do. Everyone is going electric." Should get done seeding spring wheat Tuesday or Wednesday. Got some alfalfa to seed after that. More than likely May. Moisture conditions have been good. There was no measurable moisture. The storms have been going south of us. Planning on growing Winter wheat and Spring wheat. Winter wheat is in the 4-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat is in the germinating growth stage. I can't believe how fast the ground is firming up. A nice rain on this spring wheat (and winter wheat) this weekend would be just what the doctor ordered.
Hill County - Trevor Wolery
I have not started seeding yet. Finished up fertility needs on our WW this past week. Winds have been brutal the last two days along with cold temps delaying the sprayer. Hoping Tuesday is a burn down day. Tansy and cheat grass are blooming. Everyone stay safe and good luck in the furrow. Moisture conditions have been excellent. Did not receive any precipitation within the last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Barley, and Mustard. Winter wheat is in the 2-leaf growth stage. The cold and the wind are cause for concern weather wise.
Judith Basin County - Greg Mathews
Should finish SW seeding on Monday and then onto seeding the barley. Did not get much field work this last week, with only one or two days dry enough or warm enough. Three mornings with temps between 15 to 22 and highs from 33 to39. Wind has blown almost every day. Weeds that are coming up this spring are still very slow in coming up. Little to next to nothing for moisture this last week with a couple of dustings of snow and one shower of rain. Moisture is still fair with no overabundance. Received .10 inches of precipitation within the last week. Lewistown area was still muddy Friday. Went to Billings on Friday and didn’t see any drills moving and very little seeded. Would like to see a general rain instead of the steaky storms of late. One neighbor gets a half and the neighbor six miles away gets nothing to a dust settling shower. Have a safe spring.
Teton County - Mitch Konen
Seeding has continued on and I am about 50% along in the seeding process. Moisture conditions have been fair. Did not receive any precipitation within the last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Spring wheat, Barley, and Hay. Winter wheat is in the 3-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat is in the germinating growth stage. Barley is not yet seeded. It is getting rather dry quickly. Town of Fairfield is on water restrictions. Greenfields Irrigation has reduced water allotments to 50% of what we pay for. Snowpack is about 50% of normal. Springs and creeks have greatly diminished flows. Cool nights and days are a blessing. Rain is in the future sometime. When is the big question.
April 16, 2024
Carter County - Michael Hansen
Have not started seeding. Hope to get started by the end of the week. From the 6th to the 8th we received an inch of moisture. Fields aren’t quite dry enough yet to seed. Have been going over the hayfields with the disc for pass number two. Really gives a guy a lot of respect for the farmers who broke up all the sod, what a boring seemingly endless job. 200 acres an hour in a sprayer or ten in the disc is brutal when compared to one another. Other than that we turned the steers out of the feedlot onto grass and just unrolling bales to them every few days. They do not have much interest in the hay as the grass is coming good. Old cows have started calving. First two that calves each had twins so mom has a chore again. Was supposed to rain last night but looks like we just get four days of forty mile an hour winds. Moisture conditions have been good and have received 1 inch of precipitation within the last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Durum, Barley, Garbanzos, Canola, Mustard, Oats, Hay, and Hay barley. Winter wheat is in the tillering stage. The wind is a cause of concern.
Cascade County - Steve Sheffels
We have not started seeding yet. It's just getting dry enough to get going. There's a chance of some more moisture (a little bit) Tuesday night. We're going to hit it hard when it warms up after this little cold snap. We will spray, seed the spring crops, then spray the winter wheat as quickly as we can. Moisture conditions have been excellent. We received 1.5 inches of precipitation a week and a half ago. We are planning on growing Winter wheat, Barley, and Peas this growing season. Winter wheat is in the 5-leaf growth stage. Barley is not seeded.
Fergus County - Boyd Heilig
We have started seeding. We got started a week ago with the barley. Then we got 12 inches of really wet snow. Got started again this Thursday with some spring wheat. Moisture conditions have been good. We have received 1.2 inches of precipitation within the past week. We are planning on growing Winter wheat, Spring wheat, Barley, and Canola. Winter wheat is in the 5-leaf growth stage. Spring wheat is not seeded. Barley is germinating. A weather concern of ours is this weekend is going to be in the 70’s then it’s going to get down into the teens this coming week.
Fergus County - Robert Bold
Finished top dressing winter wheat over the weekend. To start with, the west and north slopes coming out of dormancy looked tough after the January record cold with not much snow cover. But the crop is live and doing well. Wheat is like a cockroach. Both been around before recorded history and can be tough to kill at times. Hope to be done seeding by this weekend. It looks like some below average weather is headed this way. Unlike the old days, the tractors even have cabs with heaters. With the super nice weather the last week, I can not remember the large percentage of hay field tillage and spring work in such a short time. The hay crop is just jumping out of the ground. The best looking winter wheat crop in many years--maybe even a decade. Moisture conditions have been good. We have received .15 inches of rain within the last week. Over 2 feet of soil profile moisture in the stubble and full profile moisture in the chem fallow. Should be enough moisture for some recropping. We are planning on growing Winter wheat and Spring wheat this growing season. Fergus County had its first hail of the season Sunday. The hail was east of Denton and along the Moccasin Mountains. Ground completely white, but fortunately, the hail was small and soft. Good year for hail insurance?
Hill County - Trevor Wolery
I have not started seeding yet. Working waterways, picking rock, top dressing winter wheat and drill maintenance has been the focus currently. I will let this weeks weather determine when the drill builds furrows. Moisture conditions have been excellent. Received .75 inches of precipitation within the last week. Planning on growing Winter wheat, Barley, and Mustard. Winter wheat is in the 2-leaf growth stage.
Judith Basin County - Greg Mathews
I have started seeding. Half done with the spring wheat. Weeds seem to be slow in growing. Will have to work some ground to kill them after burning today and to help dry out the wet spots. Will spray the ground before seeding the barley after the next cold wave is over. WW looks very good so far, went to Fort Benton on Friday and between Square Butte and just south of Fort Benton saw water standing in the WW and all the low spots. Must have had a good amount of snow and rain last weekend. Here I had 0.41 inches of rain and snow. Figured I might have had another 0.10 inches for the snow that blew out of the gauge. Lewistown had about 1.5 inches. Hope everyone has a great spring. Moisture conditions have been fair. I have received .51 inches of precipitation within the last week. Planning on growing Spring wheat, Barley, and Hay this growing season. As for weather concerns, I don't have any yet as the weather pattern seems not sure of itself yet. Can only hope for the best.
Teton County - Levi Ostberg
We have not started seeding yet. Moisture conditions have been good. Received .1 inches of precipitation within the last week. We plan on growing Winter wheat, Barley, and Hay this growing season. Winter wheat is in the tillering stage. Barley is not yet seeded. As for weather concerns, not sure if we will have enough snowpack in the mountains to cover everything we normally irrigate. For pest concerns, Broadleaf weeds are growing good in the winter wheat.
Teton County - Mitch Konen
Spring has sprung and the gears are grinding to get crops in the ground. What seemed overly wet last week while soil sampling has become near perfect conditions for planting crops. As a result the supply chain is super stressed to get the acres covered for producers. Everyone and everything is in hectic mode and working as best they can given time constraints and emotions, machine capabilities and weather conditions. No need to panic as I am sure it will all get done. Weather has been decent with a winter storm in the forecast. Any moisture is still a blessing and appreciated. While soil testing I could only push the Paul Brown probe in 18-24". That is only 3-4" of available moisture to start the season off with compared to a full profile of 6" most years. Snow pack at +60% of normal calls for judicious water use for irrigation. I did get started seeding putting some spring wheat in the ground, but hey, it is a good start. Be safe and good luck. Moisture conditions have been fair. We've received 1.15" of precipitation within the last week. We are planning on growing Winter wheat, Spring wheat, Barley, and Hay this growing season. Winter wheat is in the 3-leaf growth stage.
April 2, 2024
Carter County - Michael Hansen
Started off March dry and above normal temperatures. Decided to break up five hundred acres of hay fields with the wishek. Got one pass over in before we got a storm. Started calving heifers on the twelfth and were more or less done by the twenty fifth. In that span we had 220 calves. Had prretty good weather for the most part which made it easier than some years. Feedlot is still full of calves hoping for more moisture so we can turn em out on green grass in a month. Had another round of moisture Easter weekend which has kept me out of the tractor. Supposed to be warm and windy this first week of April with another round of moisture coming this weekend. Moisture conditions have been fair. We received 8" of snow in the last month. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Durum, Barley, Garbanzos, Canola, Mustard, Oats, Hay, and Hay Barley.
Fergus County - Boyd Heilig
This past Thursday we received a nice snow storm that gave us 1/3 inch of moisture. Was hopefully enough to take in the fertilizer that we spread on the winter wheat. The winter wheat looks very good. Probably the best stand that we have had in 4 years. We hope to be in the field next week. Will start seeding the malt barley first. Good luck to everyone this spring and I hope everybody stays safe out there. Moisture conditions have been good. We received .3 inches of precipitation in the last month. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Barley, and and Canola. Winter Wheat is in the 3-leaf growth stage.
Fergus County - Robert Bold
In February and March there were times it looked like it was time to start spring work. There is still some ice on the reservoirs so that means there is still some frost in the ground. Cheat grass is always a good spring time indicator. So far, no cheat. North of here someone has seen some new little 2024 hoppers hatched. I think they are officially toast this early. What is to come remains to be seen. We still have 40% of our winter wheat to top dress yet. Would like to have had it done before this last storm. Oh well. Spring planting decisions: No malt barley contracts, and we will not raise malt barley for the open market; a lot of pulses talk, but again in our area, not much for contracts. Wheat is king here in our part of the world. It can be hedged and forward contracted on a regular basis. I thought wheat prices were in the toilet months ago. How do you describe those prices now? But if you look at the charts, I guess wheat has not been low enough long enough yet. All of our winter wheat is out of dormancy and looking the best it has in many years. All 200 head of antelope on the winter wheat every day can not all be wrong. Moisture conditions have been good. We received about 14 inches of snow in 3 different storms; 8 inches was the biggest snow fall of the 3. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, and Hemp.
Hill County - Trevor Wolery
March Maddness is soon over with April Insanity set to begin! Optimism is in the air around here. Spring moisture conditions are exceptional at this current stage. We were blessed to have had a nice snow last Saturday along the “northern line” , with most of the snow having soaked in. Piles are still in the yard but should disappear this week. Fields are still too soft yet to perform any activities. Winter wheat is slowly coming out of hibernation and will be off to a great start with some sunshine. I wish I could say the same about the markets. Moisture conditions have been excellent. We received .68 inches of precipitation in the last month. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Barley, Lentils, and Mustard. Winter Wheat is in the 1-leaf growth stage.
Judith Basin County - Greg Matthews
Easter weekend with some moisture, but not a lot. 0.13 so far as of Friday noon. Waiting for the ground to warm up as it has been freezing almost every morning so far. The local Cenex has been busy spreading fertilizer on hay ground and WW. Will try to spray the hay ground as soon as possible as the weeds are coming and the cheat is too. We are short on good moisture in the ground as the open winter has decreased it. Have missed the big storms so far and been hoping to hit one but to no avail. Elevators are still loading out trains and taking in grain when they can. Seems to be a wait on train availability. May start seeding around the 10th depending on temps and moisture. Hay is still moving up and down the highway. Hope everyone had a great Easter and a great year. Moisture conditions have been fair. We received .17 inches of precipitation in the last month. We are planning on growing Spring Wheat, Garley, and Hay.
Liberty County - Vince Mattson
Good, nice and wet.....so far. Moisture conditions have been good. We received 1 inch of precipitation in the last month. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Lentils, Garbanzos, Canola, and Mustard. Winter Wheat is in the 1-leaf growth stage.
Teton County - Mitch Konen
The meeting season has slowed down considerably and now it is time to get equipment ready for the planned 2024 crop season. Hope all had a good Easter weekend celebrating the Risen Lord! The last of the 2023 wheat crop has been delivered. Still have a bit of barley left in the bins looking for a home as well as a price. The markets sure add stress with its volatile whipsaw swings and lack of demand for the quality products that we raise. The weather is getting rather fickle lately with winter still trying to hang on while spring is rounding the corner. One day it seems like we are behind and the next we have plenty of time. The snow geese have made their appearance and departure on their migration. They didn't stick around for very long so I am guessing spring is here. The snowpack in the mountains is sitting at 60% of normal. So spring and summer rains are going to be needed to make up the difference or we will be facing yet another drought. With all of the fogs of late we should be able to squeeze some moisture out of the atmosphere hopefully, or at least keep the temperature cooled down. According to the precip accumulation graphs on the USDA Climate website, we are about 4" behind average for this time in the water year. It does look like we have plenty of moisture to get the crop started but there is no subsoil moisture to sustain extended growth of the crops. The winter wheat has come out of dormancy several times and looks to be in good shape except where the geese decided to mow it off. Some will have to start over but at least they left the roots. Moisture conditions have been fair. We received .33 inches of precipitation last month. We are planning on growing Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Barley, and Hay. Winter Wheat is in the 3-leaf growth stage.
