Wheat harvest has officially started at Wanstead Co-op. Samples and loads have been steadily coming in since Monday, with the main chunk of grain expected to come off towards the end of this week, or into next week.

With a larger planting window in the fall from early September to November, it was not unexpected that we would have certain fields ready before others.

If you are looking to get a pre-harvest burndown done, please contact your agronomist so they can help you time the application right!

At this point, grain quality (sprouts, VOM, etc.) is looking favourable so we are keeping our fingers crossed it stays that way!

Going forward into harvest, in an effort to retain milling quality wheat, Wanstead is planning on offering a couple drying promotions. The intention is that by helping growers get their wheat off earlier, quality can be better maintained. For grade 2 soft red wheat, Wanstead will be offering a drying holiday up to 17% moisture. For grade 2 soft white wheat, Wanstead will cover drying charges up to 18%. Shrinkage rates will still be in effect for any tough deliveries. Any questions about this promotion can be directed to Floyd or Megan.

Based on last week's survey, nearly everybody indicated that they were not planning on planting double crop soybeans. That being said, if you are hoping to plant a cover crop, please contact your agronomist so they can get in the product you need.

Floyd and Megan are nearly wrapped up with their wheat tour and had many great visits and saw some impressive looking fields! They are looking forward to following up with growers to hear about yields and quality!

Many of the Grain Declaration forms were signed on the tour, but if you have wheat and have not signed a form, that must be done before wheat can be dumped at the elevator or shipped off farm. This declaration is a personal attestation that the wheat being delivered is a licensed variety in Canada.

For more information, contact Floyd or Megan.

Floyd: 519-328-8481

Megan: 519-328-2623

On July 13th, we can now officially say soybean planting is completed. Replants are all in the ground, and there is a major range in staging. Some beans are still emerging, while others are already flowering.

Soy booster has been proving itself and has done a great job on helping support crops that needed help.

Wild carrot, bluegrass, dandelions and Canadian fleabane are continuing to give growers headaches. We are seeing more curled dock and nightshade than usual this year. Fields that were able to get a fall burndown has had less weed pressure in the spring. If you are seeing pesky weeds, contact your agronomist to come up with an action plan!

The skies are looking dark today, but as of right now, not much rain has fallen. Corn across the county is desperate for a drink and many crops are seeing the corn leave spiking up.

That being said, much of the corn has been able to thrive with the heat as it continues to throw on new leaves every few days. At this point, we can expect the crop to have been establishing good roots as it reaches for moisture.

Tassel timing for spraying is still several weeks away, but time flies when you are having fun! Fungicide application for corn, and making sure it is timed correctly is essential.

If you have not already seen, Wanstead Co-op has set a date for our annual golf tournament: August 5th.

Registration is $60 and involves 18 holes of golf, a boxed lunch delivered to the course, a steak dinner, and the chance to win one of our many prizes! 

To register, please call or visit either of our branches, or fill out the registration form. We look forward to seeing you on the links!