Harvest is finally on the fast track in north central North Dakota

While it may be a month behind, it certainly is proving that it was worth the wait in terms of quantity and quality for certain crops.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "We harvesting Barley right now and the barley is doing very well. The quality of it is just excellent. It's low protein, high plump, yield is good, test weight is good."


That really is the surprise for farmers like Curt Englehard

A high bushels barley field can sometimes mean lower quality

However as things turned the out cool season melded high bushels with low protein making it ripe for malt barley grade.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "I guess when I look at an average barley crop is that 70 to 75 bushel and we're getting generally you know 20 to 25 bushels more than that. It's not very often you get real high yields and real good quality like this."


Curt says the barley crop to this point is the best he's seen in over 20 years.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "Oh 1985 kind of reminds me of this."


As Curt's family works to clear this barley field, grand-kids included...

The bounty is hauled off to the bin...

But with much work ahead his sights are already set on other pending crops like durum and Canola

Crops that are not only behind but now running out of time to ripen.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "We had durum seeded on the 10th of May and it's still green. I mean it hasn't turned color so we're very concerned about that."


Concerned because some winter wheat this season muddled through in the same manner and suffered sprout damage.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "The canola we're putting into wind rows because it just taking everything a long time this year."


The longer it takes, the closer it will be to the first hard frost the killing end to the growing season

As seasons go this years end could be closer than producers like.

What farmers need most right now is a few weeks of this... sunny warm if not hot weather to dry down the crops so the combines can make up a months worth of work and get this years harvest in the bin.

(Curt Engelhard, Farms Near Carpio) "We need three weeks to a month just like this."


Near Carpio wIth Your Eye On Agriculture, Shaun Sipma KX News. watch the video | save this article / add to your favorites list