As I write this report in mid September, it is hard to believe summer is past us and we are approaching harvest season. Between the smoky weather in June and the cool weather in August, I feel we were robbed of the hot summer weather we expect. Anyone that was harvesting wheat or trying to get hay and straw baled in August can attest to the cool damp weather we experienced. I think most would agree that the crops are a good 1-2 weeks from what we consider normal timing. It looks like it will be late September before much corn silage and soybeans start coming off. Yield potential looks quite good, so some warm weather would be appreciated to hopefully bring these crops along. With the delayed harvest, perhaps it will give you an opportunity to check out Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show or the International Plowing Match. 

Grey County Soil and Crop held our traditional summer crop walk meeting in July. This year the meeting was held in the Irish Block at one of Ken Mitchell’s farms near Annan. We had an excellent turnout and some great discussion as we went through some corn, soybean and wheat fields. One of the highlights of the day was having the OMAFRA soils team on hand to evaluate some soil pits Ken had dug in various parts of the field. There was plenty of variability in the field, and looking at the soil pits helped to explain why some parts of the field are more productive than others. The OSCIA mobile screen trailer was also a great compliment to the event to help add some more visuals. A big thank you to Ken and Rosemary Mitchell for hosting an amazing event. 

The Grey County winter meeting will be held Friday December 15th. We will once again be returning to the Rocklyn Community Centre after hearing lots of compliments and satisfaction with last year’s meeting. A detailed agenda for the day will be shared with you over the coming weeks.  

I wish everyone a successful and bountiful harvest season. While it may be a rush to get things done with a delayed start, please remember to work safe and be mindful of your own physical and mental health!!