2007 wheat harvest called poorest in memory

Written by Aleen Ratzlaff Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:53

Poor. Terrible. Disaster.

That’s the consensus about this year’s wheat harvest, according to managers at area elevators.

“It’s the worst I’ve ever seen,” said Stan Utting, who manages Tampa’s Agri Producers Inc.

Utting views this year’s harvest from a perspective of 30 years of experience.

“The yields were bad, the quality was bad, the dockage was bad,” he said.

Dockage refers to the weed seed and other foreign matter that diminishes a grain’s value.

Uttting said fields around Tampa averaged a yield of bushels per acre “in the ’teens.”

“We probably got about 25 to 30 percent of an average harvest,” he said.

Some fields turned in as little as three bushels per acre, he said, while a few...

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Schlehuber shows class winner at national Charlois show

Written by Hillsboro Free Press Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:51

Schlehuber.jpg Courtesy photo. Click image to enlarge

 Maci Schlehuber of Hillsboro attended the Charolais Jr. National cattle show June 29 in Wichita Falls, Texas, where more than 300 head of Charolais cattle from some 40 states were exhibited. Pictured here is her class-winning junior yearling heifer "Rocksann.” Maci also showed her way to second-, fourth- and fifth-place finishes with younger aged heifers. In a competitive showmanship competition, Maci made the call back in class, which put her in the top 15 intermediates in the nation. At the Tri County fair in Herington, June 13, Maci showed champion and reserve champion Charolais heifers and won the “supreme champion” honor over all heifers represented. She also went...

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Commentary- Crops in full failure in SE Kansas

Written by John Schlageck Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:39

Beans the color of mud. Gray—not a hint of green.

That’s how soybeans in much of Allen County look today. Standing only a few inches tall, this fall crop is distinguishable from the soil only by its leafy shape. The color mirrors the ground.

On the other hand, corn looks like other fields across Kansas this summer—8-foot tall, green, lush—like a million dollars. But step into these fields and grab an ear. Pull back the husks. The kernels on the cob are rotting and oozing with juice. The corn reeks of decay.

That’s how many of the crops looks throughout Allen County after more than 20 inches of rain fell during a four-day period beginning June 28 through July 1. In some fields west of Iola, next to the Neosho River, the corn...

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FSA county offices to conduct spot checks

Written by Bill Harmon /Farm Service Agency Wednesday, 18 July 2007 10:36

As part of the 2007 National Compliance Review, the Farm Service Agency is requiring local FSA county offices to conduct compliance reviews and spot checks of certain producers selected by the national office through a statistical sampling method.

A statistical sample of FSA employees, county committee and state committee members also has been selected for review using this same process.

FSA may review a producer’s operations in multiple states and counties, depending on the scope of the producer’s operations.

FSA will review both the accuracy of the representations made by the selected producers in connection with participation in FSA programs as well as the producer’s compliance with applicable program requirements.

The...

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