Alva Review-Courier -

“What little wheat that's been brought in is decent, but there's not a lot of it,” Kevin Pingelton, assistant manager of the Alva Farmer's Cooperative said. “Sadly enough, that is it for now.”

For the first time in many area farmers' lives (in the Newsgram reading area) they have no wheat to cut. The severe drought conditions since the summer of 2022 caused the usually resilient hard red winter wheat to barely survive in the majority of area fields. Crop insurance adjusters' findings of these poor crops, in many cases, prompted them to release acres to the point combines would not have to enter the field – therefore, no wheat to cut.

Instead, in some cases the hardly recognizable wheat is swathed and baled into large round bales to feed cattle. Some farmers grazed their wheat fields off with cattle. Some crops were destroyed with chemicals – other farmers worked the failed crop up with implements.

Some area fields (especially as you moved east of Alva and Kiowa, Kan) got a random shower a few times that caused the wheat to survive a little better. The last week some of those fields were cut and more crops all over the area are expected to get going this week. Elevator operators share some of the results below.

Most everyone in the area is rejoicing that the skies finally opened and abundant rain fell in the area for about the last month. After drought conditions no one would have guessed fields would be muddy. Prayers by many are that the rainfall will continue through the summer for fall crops that are planted. And also so there will be ample moisture to plant wheat in the fall.

Dacoma Co-op Kelln Says Wheat Is Better Quality than Expected

Dacoma Co-op Manager Jake Kelln said, “Harvest has been almost an afterthought we're so busy with our agronomy business.” At least 75 percent of Dacoma's customers' wheat was released to insurance so won't be cut, Kelln estimated.

“We're so busy with spraying and putting on fertilizer,” Kelln said. Farmers are planting fall crops such as milo, sesame and feed for hay.

As of Monday afternoon, he said a few farmers were sampling their fields. Dacoma had their first load of wheat brought in June 9. To date, Dacoma has had only about a 20,000 bushel intake of wheat, Kelln said, and it's June 19, which is highly unusual.

Kelln expected that, “Tuesday will be our first day of harvest, if they can get across the muddy fields.”

Of the wheat brought into the elevators so far, Kelln said the test weights range from 59 to 62.5. “We're tickled. The protein levels have been good and the wheat is better quality and yielding better than expected.”

He said farmers are already battling weeds, joint grass and more in the wheat – not to mention the mud. He's concerned additional rains could cause sprout damage to the wheat.

Kelln said Dacoma's Co-op usually has harvest t-shirts made up for employees to wear with the year printed on it. “No harvest 2023 t-shirts. We don't want to remember this year!”

Standing outside, Kelln said, “It's 92 degrees, the wind is blowing. It feels like harvest today!”

Wheeler Brothers Lohmann Predicts 32 to 42 Percent of `Normal Harvest'

Monday afternoon Wheeler Brothers Grain Manager Jay Lohmann at Alva said, “We're taking a little wheat in.” It was June 19 and he said, “We've had five or six loads brought in today and it's 4 o'clock.”

Lohmann said the acres of wheat to be cut are way down and he anticipates “we'll bring in 32 to 42 percent of a normal harvest.” He expects cutting to really get going this week.

Of the small amount of wheat already brought in. Lohmann said the test weight is good at 60 pounds/bushel of wheat. He said protein is higher but yields are down significantly. Dockage of the crop “is higher than normal because of more weeds due to the rain we've had.”

Alva Cooperative Pingelton Says Nearly 70 Percent Won't Be Cut

Kevin Pingelton, assistant manager at the Alva Farmers Cooperative, estimates the percent of wheat released to insurance that won't be cut is 60 to 70 percent for their customers.

“We've had some wheat brought in,” Pingelton said. “I think they'll get cranked more this week.”

Referring to the wheat already brought in to the elevator, Pingelton said “test weights are good at 58 to 61. There's some dockage, from .5 to two or three percent – mainly due to joint grass and cheat.” He said the height of blades of wheat average only12 inches this harvest.

Newman Talks Wheat North and South of the Border

Robbie Newman is general manager of the OK/KS Cooperative (formerly Burlington Co-op and O.K. Grain Cooperative in Kiowa). Visiting with Newman Tuesday morning, June 20, he said they've taken in only 130,000 bushels company-wide.

“Normally we would be over half done at this point,” Newman said. The cooperative took in their first load June 12 at the elevator in Amorita.

“The custom crews are here – everything is ready. The wheat is just now ripe. With some hot, windy days, things should happen,” Newman said.

“There's going to be some 40 (bushels/acre) plus wheat but just don't know how much,” Newman said. “ I bet 40 percent of our crops were released to insurance and were either baled or destroyed.”

He said between the mud, weeds, etc., “Everything out there we're fighting” Newman predicts “way less than half a crop for us.”

Cherokee Co-op New Manager 'Pleasantly Surprised'

Jacob Gordan is the new manager of the Cherokee Cooperative. He's worked at the Cherokee Co-op over 13 years. He's driven the fertilizer truck and worked in nearly every other department.

Shane Parker was longtime manager at the Cherokee Co-op and is now regional manager of the American Plains Cooperative after their merger as of Oct. 1, 2022. Cherokee is now affiliated with American Plains' Great Bend, Kansas, office. As regional manager, Parker oversees Oklahoma cooperatives, including Carmen, Aline, Ames and Drummond. His office remains in Cherokee.

Office Manager Debbie Stoner said cutting started, then it rained; they started cutting again, then it rained again – a cycle that's repeated.

Gordan said Monday afternoon, “We've only taken in 50 loads so far.” Of that wheat brought in, Gordan said, “I've been pleasantly surprised.” He said they had protein levels from 13-15; test weights of 60; and yields of 20 to over 40 bushels per acre. Unfortunately, he said there's more dockage to farmer's loads of wheat coming in to the elevator due to weeds, etc.

“We had a little more rain than a lot of the area. They had more rain northeast of Kiowa too,” Gordan said. While he's “thankful for the rain,” Gordan said, “We've had too many rain delays.”

He said combines were actually starting to roll Monday.

“It will all depend on the rain.”