Despite Likely Record Drought Year Harvest Underway - Photo Essay

The drought of 2021 may still be setting weather records, but despite this local farmers are now going full steam ahead when it comes to the harvest.

According to the latest provincial crop report (August 3rd - August 9th) the warmer weather has helped crops mature and seven percent of the crop was in the bin and six percent was ready for straight combining.

The harvest locally is now in full swing with local area farmers busy with combining attempting to beat potential wet weather predicted for this Tuesday - Thursday.

Below are a series of photos taken late Saturday afternoon of the harvest underway and combines reaching the end of another round of the field about 10 miles north and east of Moose Jaw.

Multiple combines busy harvesting. - MJ Independent photo

A combine approaches the end of its straight cut - MJ Independent photo

The dry weather and a bit of a breeze had the dust flying during the harvest - MJ Independent photo

The combine makes the turn - MJ Independent photo

The grain cart or chaser bin approaches the combine to be offloaded into - MJ Independent photo

The grain cart is loaded on the fly (go) as the combining continues - MJ Independent photo

The grain cart is off loaded into the semi truck where it is hauled to the grainery for storage - MJ Independent photo

An example of larger metal graineries where grain is stored until it is sold into the market - MJ Independent photo

And now the effects of the drought….

Despite being able to harvest a crop the land shows the effects of heat and no moisture for weeks. The land has numerous cracks which are often 1.5 to four inches wide that run for several yards. The cracks can been several yards deep.

As a farmer told us the only repair for it is rain or snow after the harvest is completed to re-build soil moisture reserves for 2022 - MJ Independent photo