Another summer is quickly coming to a close, which means one thing…..Fall harvest is around the corner. With a cool and cloudy August things have been slow maturing but thankfully we got a nice stretch of hot weather to help the corn and beans along at the start of September. Fingers crossed we still have a couple weeks free of frost to get the corn and late beans to maturity. 

Bruce county soil and crop had an eventful summer with the Forage Expo and a summer mystery bus tour back again. 

The Forage Expo was hosted by Barry Ribey and his family west of Paisley. It looked like a farm show with all the equipment lined up and ready for a show down. Ribey’s had a beautiful crop of hay ready to put all the machines to the test. Unfortunately it ended up being a rain day. While every dealer was able to cut a swath, part way through the tedding and raking it just got too wet. A big highlight for the spectators was the Tiverton Fire Department taking time to teach fire safety around the equipment. Events like these take a lot of volunteers and it was great to see many attendees. Thank you to all the dealers and sponsors of the event. A special shout-out to the Ribey family for hosting, Ontario Forage Council and Harrison Todd who really went above and beyond for BCSIA to make this event happen. 

The summer mystery tour was once again on a bus this year. Having the bus at our disposal it was easier to go a little further from the Paisley area. Our crop scout was Michelle Durnin. We really appreciated her taking time from her busy schedule to help make the day a success. Michelle did an excellent job going over different issues in corn, beans and winter wheat. On the way back from Kincardine we were able to stop in to see winter canola which seems to be growing in popularity in the area. Overall it was a great day. The bagged lunch’s from the Paisley Freshmart were great as always and the BBQ with Zettler’s family beef was a great way to end the day. Thanks to Wathke Bus Lines for all the driving. And of course to all the organizers and farmers who offered up their fields for viewing. Looking forward to the mystery crop tour in 2024!

Hope everyone has a safe and bountiful harvest. 

Paul Legge

BSCIA