Cheyenne County farmers begin wheat harvest

Wheat harvest 2016 is underway.

After a few test cuts early last week, combines began rolling in earnest over the weekend. While some pockets of wheat were ripe enough to harvest mid-week, hot days allowed many farmers to begin Friday, with the biggest push Saturday.

Scoular Grain reported test weights are about average, with most around 59 or 60 pounds. Some, officials said, is lower, but the bulk matches the 60 pound per bushel standard. Saturday deliveries at Crossroads Coop in Sidney averaged just more than 61 pounds.

So far wheat quality has not been high, with a lot of protein content hovering around eight or nine at Scoular.

Protein content is one of the measures used for wheat. Higher protein is desired by some millers depending on the end use. As such, a premium is sometimes offered for higher protein, usually over 11 percent.

But at this point, bids on protein haven't been a regular part of the price structure, according to Deb Brauer, general manager at Crossroads Coop.

"We check the bids on a case basis," Brauer said last week. "The market hasn't been regular for protein."

Local cash bids for wheat as of Monday morning were just more than $3.00 per bushel, with local bids at 6 a.m. ranging from $3.09 to $3.11 per bushel.

Even so, farmers are glad for the chance to be in the field. For dryland farmers, the season marks the culmination of a year's work. Some aren't as lucky. Last week, hail in the area around Julesburg, Colo., just south of the border with Nebraska, wiped out hope for a harvest.

Time will tell how successful this year's harvest is. Dry conditions at planting time last year caused concern, and the appearance of striped rust this spring did as well. Both can have an effect on overall wheat yield.