Photo by Curtis Galbraith

By Curtis Galbraith

Agriculture

Wet weather challenging for local farmers and ranchers

Aug 15, 2019 | 5:30 AM

There is more rain in the forecast over the next few days, something farmers and ranchers in the Peace that are trying to get haying done do not want to see.

Teepee Creek area farmer and County of Grande Prairie Councillor Corey Beck says there are some nice hay crops, but the wet weather means they are still not cut and baled.

“For the hay that has been put up, (the quality) hasn’t been good unless it’s been wrapped. The wrapping is a process where they wrap it in plastic to protect it. You wind up with good quality, but it’s been (a) challenging year for a lot of cattle producers putting up their hay or hay producers putting up their hay.”

He adds farmers are hoping for some more warm weather.

“The crops are looking really nice right now, but we do need the tap to turn off and we need to see some warm weather. The warm weather helps us with the ripening process, drying the crops out so that we can put them in the bin. We’re a little ways from there and let’s hope that the frost stays off. That will be the big push here at the end.”

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Beck thinks the Peace has some of the nicest crops in Alberta.

“I’ve been across most of the province this year right up to the firers in the north down to the Montana border and some of the best looking crops in the province are in the Peace Country and I would even say the County of Grande Prairie.That being said, with good crops, you have a volume of product and so we need some warm weather to dry these down so we can get them in the bin.”

Beck adds he is crossing his fingers that there is not an early frost.