Hansen harvest complicated by rainfall in late July

GILDFORD, Mont. – The Hansen winter wheat harvest has been delayed by summer rain showers that have brought bursts of moisture into the region.

“We have been getting rain showers and hail in some areas. This week we got over two inches of rain and at one point it was like walls of water coming at you,” he said. “I haven’t seen that in a long time.”

The Hansen farm is in the middle of their harvest season with the lentils harvested and about half of the winter wheat done, Todd Hansen related. Spring wheat harvest is still a week or so away.

“The wheat has a shine on it when it is ripe, but the rain takes the shine off and you can run into sprout damage if it doesn’t dry and then we are looking at feed wheat,” he said, referring to rain damaged wheat that can only be used as livestock feed.

However, as his harvest crews dodge rainclouds, Todd said the yields on the winter wheat are better than expected.

“I was thinking we had 35 bushels of wheat to the acre, and it looks like we are going to have more like 50 bushels,” he said. “I’m not sure how or why but I probably have to give some credit to the breeders at Montana State University (MSU). We just might make a profit.”

Todd said he planted primarily the Bobcat hard red winter wheat variety developed by MSU last fall.

With harvest being one of the busiest times of year on the farm, Todd said he continues to think about making sure the farm is a success under his management.

“They say the first generation starts the farm, the second maintains it, and the third loses it,” he said. “I’m the fourth generation and I want to make sure I’m not the guy who messes it up.”

However, the farm’s long-term success will be up to whoever follows in Todd’s work. He said he has a son-in-law and two sons who may be interested in becoming more involved. For the young people out there who want to get into farming, he has some advice.

“This isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to work your butt off, but keep in mind that someone is watching,” he said. “You need to keep busting your butt and there are people who want to give a youngster a shot. “

Todd recommends young people wanting to get into the farming industry take steps to join a grower group.

“You need to meet the guys who have the operation you want to have and remember that it took them a lifetime to build it,” he said. “They likely didn’t start out with a multi-million-dollar farm but with what they had and old equipment. All the grower groups are dying to get young people in the door. There is no substitute for youth, but there is also no substitute for institutional knowledge.

“You’ve got to hustle. You’ve got to bust your butt and network,” Todd concluded.