Did someone say pumpkin spice and everything nice? The days are getting shorter the nights are getting cooler which can only mean that fall is in the air. With that being said I’d still like to hold onto the last few weeks of summer please!
I write this as a producer reflecting on our past growing season and observations I’ve seen in Dufferin county.  I believe that we in Dufferin are very fortunate for the growing season we have had. We can start with winter wheat. I recall making a statement in the winter newsletter that we were very lucky to have had a dry fall to get wheat planted early. That, along with ideal growing conditions and improving wheat varieties resulted in an awesome, high yielding, and good quality 2022 wheat crop.
Corn and soybeans; yes there are some crops on lighter soil that could have definitely benefited from another few rain falls, but as a general statement I think we are very fortunate in comparison to some other counties south and west of us. We managed to get spotty rains that just helped hold our crops together, with the combinations of heavier soils maybe holding the moisture longer. We look forward to getting into the fields and seeing the outcome.
I always love fall as it’s the time of year you’re rewarded for all your hard work!  The time when we see the numbers on the yield monitor to show you your upgrades and management improvements did in fact work. It’s been a fun growing season on our farm as we put delta force on our corn planted, seeing the crop emerge even, tassel all at once and seeing the size of the cob on the stalk is an exciting and rewarding feeling. We may not be able to control the weather, but we can control a lot of other factors that improve our crops!
Keep your ears open for Dufferin’s upcoming events!
I wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe Fall!
Brandi McCabe, Dufferin SCIA Secretary & Local Producer