Harvest Update – Bringing in the Sheaves
Dan and Carol Siebert, along with their partners Chaun and Sara Holfeld, harvested the first Grow Hope field this year. On August 15, they harvested 125 acres of barley. The crop had such promising start with an early seeding date, precise seed and fertilizer placement, and a good rain shortly after seeding but with the hot and dry weather, the crop did not yield to its full potential. That said, considering the challenges, 37 bushels/acre was better than some crops this year, and the quality met the highest marketing standard. After harvest, the straw was baled for which there will be strong demand this year.
Brian and Michelle Hergott’s field of barley was the next to be harvested. The yield turned out to be a complete surprise to them considering the drier-than-normal year, and much above any estimate they started with. In fact, it was their second-highest yield for barley ever, coming in at 108 bu/ac. The minimal rain must have come at just the right time and as Brian indicated, there seemed to be some multiplication happening in the bin!
Nathan and Jeanette Janzen harvested the canola on 41 acres in mid-September. Like so many other farmers experienced in the mid and north-east parts of the province, the harvest results were surprising. The canola on their Grow Hope acres yielded about 51 bushels per acre. Again, quite amazing, considering the drier year. This seems to indicate once again, that the timing of rain is nearly as important as the quantity to attain a good yield.
The Sonntag brothers – Ian, Reg, and Patrick - near Goodsoil, Sk also were surprised by the outcome of their 35 acres of oats this year. As they looked out the front windshield of their combine, the oats were coming into the hopper at an average of 144.5 bushels per acre.
The 40 acres farmed by Josh, Janelle and Richard Prybylskis near Willowbrook, SK was still standing tall at the time this was drafted and waiting to be harvested. They were about 75% complete overall but some rain on Sept 28 delayed the process. Pictured below is Josh Prybylski, farmer, and Rick Block of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank with the canola field behind them. It’s looking pretty good! We look forward to see how it will turn out.
The remaining field – 140 acres of wheat – owned by Roland Schappert and farmed by Aberhart Farms near Langenburg, SK, has also been harvested and the results were estimated to be around 70 bushels / acre. Again, that’s a really strong result and highlights just how variable conditions can be across this province.
Fortunately, under the Grow Hope model the donations that come in to sponsor input costs help shoulder the risk that a farmer takes when committing acres to this project. This is particularly important when harvest yields are not as strong because in those years, every penny is important for a farmer to make ends meet.
It is deeply meaningful for farmers and donors to work together to bring in the harvest, and work towards ending global hunger. Thank you to everybody for your part in making this happen.