It’s been one of the rainiest, stormiest summers in recent memory, but Waterloo Region farmers say they’re weathering the weather just fine.
“Last year we couldn’t get a drop of rain if we begged for it, and this year we’re swimming,” Craig Martin, a farmer and seed producer.
“(But) the yields are fairly decent. The quality has come off pretty good.”
Local wheat crops are enjoying a particularly strong summer, with Martin estimating that only 10 to 15 per cent of wheat has been downgraded to feed status.
That’s in stark contrast to areas to the north and south, where diseased wheat is more common – even though Waterloo Region also experienced what Martin calls “ideal” conditions for disease to develop.
Soybeans aren’t quite as much of a bright spot, due to heavy rains.
“(A soybean crop) does not like the wet conditions. It does not like having its feet wet for long periods of time,” says Martin.
Despite the wet weather, though, Martin estimates that local soybean producers will see yields near average levels – about the same as last year.
Fred Wagner, a Breslau-area farmer, says his soybean crops are having a good year.
“The weather’s been kind to them, with intermittent rains,” he says.
“We have excellent-looking soybeans in general.”
Wagner notes that while too much rain would be a problem for soybeans, intermittent rains actually help the crop by washing off any aphids that have infested the fields.
The rain has been more of an issue for Wagner’s corn crop, but he says fields in good shape should be able to achieve proper pollination.
