Rain holds up harvest in southern Sask.

I asked around for harvest reports yesterday and got three this morning. The two guys in southern Saskatchewan are about half done as of yesterday but are in a rain delay. Gerald Pilger, a regular Grainews writer who farms in central Alberta, says barley and winter wheat are really the only things combined in any great number in his area. But unlike the Eastern Prairies, Alberta is sunny today and the combines are going again.

Jay Peterson

Frontier, Sask.

"We have harvested approximately half of our total seeded acres. We started with 240 acres of yellow field peas that ran around 20 bushels per acre. Next we harvested 1,000 acres of IP wheat that ran about 30 bushels. The quality is good with a heavy weight and average protein content.

"We just finished 640 acres of brown mustard before the rain hit this weekend in which we received around two inches of moisture.  The mustard will run on average 20 bushels with a good quality.

"The only land we have left is some rented land and I always forget the exact acreages but we have about 800 to 900 acres of brown mustard left and 300 acres of AC Lillian wheat.

"This year definitely was a good turn around from the dry last two years.  Hopefully we can wrap it all up in around a week's more harvest time once things dry up."

Trevor Thompson

Assiniboia, Sask.

"We are half done harvest. This week looks like a waste as it appears to be rainy and cold all week long. Peas are averaging 35 and edible, while lentils are around 25. Our green lentils have graded No.1. There is lots of

yield variability from field to field."

Gerald Pilger

Camrose, Alta.

"Personally we have about 300 acres of barley off. Yields are in the 80 to 90 bushel-per-acre range. Varieties are Metcalfe and Xena. Other than early seeded barley and some winter wheat, there is very little combining been done around Camrose. Even peas are for the most part not started on. Canola swathing is well underway. Canola looks excellent. Huge swaths.

"Cloudy cool weather is preventing much harvest progress. While we have had little rain, heavy dews, early morning fog, and cloudy conditions are stalling everything but canola swathing.

"The one other note is we had a light frost last night, and there is a frost warning out for tonight. People phoned into the radio station two days ago reporting fairly extensive frost in north east Alberta. There are some crops which could be hurt by frost."