An unusually early wheat harvest and ongoing drought conditions are creating challenges for custom harvesting crews across the Central Plains. “We’re for sure two weeks, if not three weeks ahead of schedule the whole summer so far,” said U.S. Custom Harvesters Vice President Mychal Neumiller. “We’ve literally only made one move with our entire Texas stop zeroed out. Some combines started in Kansas and some started in Oklahoma, and we’ve only got those jobs done and moved here. It’s definitely a weird year.” Neumiller said wheat yields have generally averaged around 35 bushels per acre with strong test weights, but moisture remains a concern. “It’s really dusty. Gravel roads are terrible, fields are terrible. They could use moisture.” Many harvest crews are expecting a lengthy pause between Kansas and Montana harvest, with some facing two-to-three weeks of downtime before northern wheat fields are ready.
