Heavy rains no issue for farmers
Staff writer
Rain, wind, and hail have washed over the county in recent weeks, frustrating many residents ready for some sun.
But the moist weather has been a boon for farmers, who say the conditions are helping their wheat and fall crops grow fuller.
Gary Unruh, a farmer in McPherson County, stopped outside Marion’s Farm Services Agency and praised the gloomy skies overhead.
“We got two inches, which we’re very thankful for,” he said. “It’s a real true blessing for farmers to get a good rain.”
In Marion County, the rain was even stronger over the weekend.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday saw 3.42 inches fall, according to weather data collected by Apple.
“We’re glad to have it,” Marion co-op manager John Ottensmeier said. “We’ll take it when we can get it.”
Alex Strevell, a grain merchandiser at Agri-Trails Coop in Hope and Tampa, said the rain “feels like it’s more than we historically get for this time period.”
He, too, was pleased with the precipitation.
“It’s extremely beneficial,” he said. “Filling ponds up is certainly ideal, and it’s extra subsoil for this fall crop. On top of that, the wheat that’s finishing right now. These are some pretty ideal conditions.”
Ottensmeier said the rain would help crops like corn, milo, and beans more than wheat.
“The wheat’s pretty well made,” he said. “Your fall crops are what it’s helping.”
Strevell disagreed somewhat, arguing that last weekend was the perfect time for the wheat crop to receive a lot of rain.
The crop will be harvested two to three weeks from now, according to various workers.
When the wheat is mature, water doesn’t matter much, Strevell said. But this week, it is still in its final stages of growing, and wetness in the soil is important.
Some of the downsides of rain farmers get are that it is harder to plant crops and put down hay. But Strevell said the pros outweighed the cons.
“Overall, it’s a big positive to get moisture at this time of year,” he said.
Bob Patterson, an elevator operator at Cooperative Grain and Supply in Hillsboro, said there are other downsides with extreme weather.
“For the most part, they want rain because they’re trying to get their wheat to grow,” Patterson said. “But when it hails and stuff, that’s bad because it splits the end of the grain. That hailstorm we just had not too long ago, that wasn’t a good thing. That’s going to give them a little dockage because of the damage to the grain.”
“Dockage” has a double meaning, referring both to underdeveloped wheat kernels and a reduction in the price that co-ops pay farmers for their product.
“Obviously, we gotta dock [prices] for that,” Patterson said.
On the whole, Patterson agreed that the rain would be beneficial for farmers’ crops.
“We’re getting a little more than we usually get, which is a good thing with the reservoir being down,” he said.
As of Tuesday evening, Marion Reservoir was at 0.61 of a foot above its conservation pool.