The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

In what is looking like the middle of a record breaking heat wave, it is a good time to see what the experts have to say about crop and crop conditions in the Big Sandy area.

For that “The Mountaineer usually consults Larry and Marlys at Agri-Prairie Insurance. They usually have their collective finger on what is happening in our area.

Marlys said, “With the heat and the rain shut off, it is really hard to know. I think pulse crops like peas, lentils and chickpeas are doing all right and there are a lot of them planted this year. I know this is the first year for pulse crops for several farmers.”

Marlys went on to say that with the low price of wheat and the higher prices of pulse crops, this was the year for planting them.

Larry said that an expert told him that Chouteau County has perfect conditions to grow chickpeas. Matter of fact Chouteau County could become the Chickpea capital of the world. Think of crowning a Miss Chickpea or having the school teams become the peas.

“But the fact is this is, wheat and barley country,” said Marlys. “It always has been and still is.”

Not only that but unlike many parts of Montana that are much more heavily cropped than here, this is an area of range for the raising of grass and beef. That will probably never change in our area.

Larry added that harvest is really close to starting now with winter wheat.

“You know it really isn’t so early either. My mother always said that harvest should start historically around the 18 to 20th of July. We are close to that date now and there is some harvesting going on between Havre and Big Sandy now,” Larry said.

Larry reported that the winter wheat crop is already made and it is what it is. Good and bad crop but it looks like some fairly good protein and that makes a huge difference, Kansas wheat crops, for instance, have poor protein so our crops will go for more with our better protein.

Both Larry and Marlys said again and again that in farming it is having something that no one else has and getting good pay for it. That is how farming works even with a worldwide glut of wheat.

“As to spring wheat, I don’t think it is going to be good. It has just been too hot and no rain. Hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised but I don’t think so,” said Larry.

And, wouldn’t you know that spring wheat protein is high but there is nothing to sell.

Here is where blended wheat comes in. The average protein in winter wheat is 11 ½. If you have 13 percent protein you will get right now around .75 cents a bushel more for that wheat when you sell it.

So, if you have a three bins of winter wheat, one 11, one 12 and one 13 and you blend them together, you will make some money on your wheat.

Add to that, winter wheat prices are coming up a little so if you have something to sell, you might make a little money in a very hot dry year like this one.

“What made a winter wheat crop here is the five to six inches of rain we had last fall. That and some showers this spring,” said Larry.

Lastly, Larry agreed that at least at this point in Chouteau County there is room for cautious optimism.

“After all, optimism is what farming is all about,” Larry said, smiling, “Remember this has always been a next year country.”