July 2, 2025

Carter County - Michael Hansen

Still making hay bales and by the time we are done the baler and swather will probably be able to run right beside each other. Very little green left in the grass already and the farm fields are close to the same. Had planned on swathing the winter wheat but it’s mostly brown already...trying to get heads filled but looks like they have aborted about half the head, so I guess we’ll combine it. The hay barley that is left is also filling heads and has lost most the green color when you look at it from the road. I guess just isn’t going to rain. Went to town for a wedding over the weekend and couldn’t believe how much nicer it looks just 20 miles away where they have gotten recent rains. Headed to spray sorghum. The kochia seems completely unaffected by the lack of moisture. Sure wish they could but the genes of it into some sort of grain crop.
Moisture conditions have been poor. We have not received any precipitation within the last week.
Planted Winter Wheat, Durum, Barley, Garbanzos, Oats, and Hay this growing season.
Winter Wheat is in the filling growth stage. Spring Wheat is the booting growth stage. Barley is in the filling growth stage.
 

 

Fergus County - Brandon Udelhoven

We are keeping busy hauling grain, it’s been a slow process as we are cleaning the bottoms of all the bins and trying to do it during the cool parts of the day. The summer heat has finally arrived…wish it could’ve waited until mid month or at least until after the 4th. The heat and dry conditions is pushing the winter wheat, less green and more gold everyday. The first seeded peas have pretty much blasted the last of their blooms and will now just need to finish filling the last of the pods, might be scary how fast they ripen up going forward. The lentils are still green as a gourd and flowering really nice. I’m hoping that they are thick enough to help shade their blooms and create a microclimate of sorts to buy them some time until the cooler weekend gets here; another good shower on them and they could really be a special crop. They are knee high, and if nothing else will cut really nice. Have a couple of fields of chemfallow that will need attention soon and a few areas where grasshoppers will need to be sprayed again. The hoppers are relentless, and trying to eradicate them seems hopeless, just have to try and stay ahead of them long enough for the crop to ripen. Some tame grass pastures in the area are starting to look more like parking lots than grasslands. Maybe 2026 (year seven of them) will be “lucky” and they’ll magically disappear? My folks took a drive to the northeast part of the state over the weekend to tow home a rock picker and said from Malta east towards Glasgow was extremely tough, so feeling very fortunate to have the crop we do. Praying for everyone’s health and sanity during these dry times
I feel pretty confident that we will be doing some test cuts in three weeks or so. Harvest starts July 25th.
Moisture conditions have been good. We have received .05 to .4 inches of precipitation within the last week in a couple of showers last Thursday/Friday.
The heat has me more concerned than the dry right now, but both together will really zap the spring crop. In a few weeks we will be past wanting rain for a bit.
Grasshoppers are getting to be terrible. Not as widespread as in the past few years but every bit as thick.
Russian thistle and prickly lettuce are present at this time. 
Planted Winter Wheat, Peas and Lentils this growing season. 
Winter Wheat is in the soft dough growth stage.
  

 

Fergus County - Robert Bold

Grain crops look really good! Been some hail in the area so there will not be as many bushel delivered to the elevator this year. The last half of June rains really worked out well. A lot of hay got rained on. For the most part, haying is about wrapped up--literally. By the weeks end there won't be much hay left to bale up. The winter wheat is a golden-green color. These up coming hot days will stress it some for better protein. Spring wheat is all in the soft dough. Enough moisture to finish it. Done with another chem fallow pass. Just the hot season weeds coming on. Independence Day is Friday. With the amount of trouble and wording I do every week for this crop survey report--I can not imagine the effort our founding fathers, with their quill feather pens and ink wells, went through to draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They are the ones that gave us the basis to build the freest nation ever on the face of the earth. That unleased freedom gave us the ability to innovate and build upon our productive ag land the best bread basket ever known. Hope everyone has a good 4th.
Remember the red, white and blue and those who gave their all to get it and keep it. Hoppy 4th everyone!!
Harvest will begin in 20 to 25 days.
Moisture conditions have been good. We have received .45 inches of precipitation within the last week. June is almost up to average rain fall.
Planted Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, and Hay this growing season.

 

Hill County - Trevor Wolery

Warmer weather this week is making the crops yearn for more moisture. HRW is ripening fast and spring crops are being pushed along. Fallow is still holding at the moment which is giving us time for some odds and ends projects.
Happy Independence Day and God Bless the USA!
Planning on July 11th to begin harvest.
Moisture conditions have been poor.
Planted Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Lentils, Garbanzos, and Mustard this growing season.
  

Judith Basin County - Greg Mathews

Will have to start spraying some fields again for weeds and cheat again. One field will have to be cultivated to get rid of foxtail. Do not want to but only way to get rid of it. Started haying on Sat (6/28). Looks to be average to below average. Weevil showing up in areas. Moisture last week Sun 0.09, Mon 0.01 dew, Thur 0.21, Fri 0.03; for a total of 0.34 for the week. Total for June was 3.64. My barley has started to head as is the spring wheat. Things look good in the area except where the hail hit earlier in the month.
Have a great Fourth and be safe.
Moisture conditions have been good.
Planted Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, Barley, and Hay this growing season.
Winter Wheat is in the filling growth stage. Spring Wheat is in the heading growth stage. Barley is in the heading growth stage.