Rick Ashton is quietly amused by invoices for hip waders from community pasture managers fixing fences in the wet areas of Saskatchewan.
Pastures are in great shape thanks to a rainy spring, said the manager of resource and management services and the Saskatchewan pastures program.
“It’s a great situation to have lots of water, in the potholes, creeks. That’s a perfect situation for us,” he said.
Ashton said wet years can create management issues for the community pastures, which scramble to fill vacancies created by cattle remaining at home where grass is plentiful.
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The excess moisture also slowed shipments of cattle to community pastures because trucks had trouble accessing farmyards and soft prairie roads, especially in the province’s saturated northeast.
Ashton noted the plight of one farmer who sat idle for two weeks waiting for fields to dry out.
“It’s a short-term problem. The sun will shine and water will disappear.”
This spring’s rain follows on the heels of good fall moisture and an excellent long season for community pastures last year.
“We went into the winter with good water and forage supplies,” said Ashton.
By contrast with the wetter north, the southwest started seeding early this spring due to drier conditions. Crops there are progressing ahead of schedule, with haying under way.
Haying is about a week earlier than normal on Yvonne and Tim Doerksen’s grain and cattle farm at Gem, Alta., where they are experiencing a similar spring to last year.
Most of the area’s annual precipitation fell before July in 2005, with this spring also delivering good rains.
“Some fields are carrying a little too much water and plants are a little yellow, but I think they are pulling out of it,” Yvonne said. “For the most part, things are looking very green.”
She said wet fields slowed their seeding progress but grain crops are now progressing on schedule.
Doerksen was looking forward to a week of hot sunny weather in advance of Canada Day.
Reports of good crops are widespread from a strong start for canola crops near Lipton, Sask., to market gardeners’ carrots 10 days ahead of normal at Innisfail, Alta., to excellent pastures across Manitoba.
David Rolfe, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, is upbeat about Manitoba’s crop prospects.
He said they are looking better this year than in recent years when a significant acreage could not be planted due to excessive moisture.
“The guys are appreciative they have a crop in the field and the prospect of some income,” said Rolfe, who farms at Elgin.
While areas in northwestern Manitoba were challenged by wet weather, crops are generally looking good and are ahead of schedule in the province, he said. “We’ve had some good growing weather and timely showers.”
