Less Wheat This Year

With the late crops and cool summer there is going to be less soft red winter wheat planted around here.  I can think of one farm near Dayton who has a couple of hundred acres of soft red winter wheat planted and one farm with about the same 40 miles south of here.  The 80 miles in-between which would normally have several acres of wheat planted basically has none.  I don't think I will get any planted this year.

There is going to be less planted wheat here this year and that is mainly due to weather.  If we had any kind of a year to plant wheat, the few of us who like to plant wheat would.  It is not here this year.  I would not be surprised if acreage is way down with the wet September and October we have experienced.  It is far reaching across the soft red winter wheat belt.  It's basically anywhere east of the Mississippi on this map.

That puts more pressure on soybean planting next year and reduces the amount of potential double crop soybean acres.  Double crop soybeans has been a real winner for us with our principle of load the drill when the combine starts up.  It looks like we won't have any next year unless we have to plant as late as we do double crop soybeans!

Wheat hasn't been a great profit for me but it is a great way to keep my soil covered all winter.  I have built a little organic matter in my soil from the residue rather than letting it wash all winter.

One little impact on the markets next year is going to be soft red winter wheat in my opinion.

Ed Winkle