Year End Wishes from The Northern Plains
This time of year, everyone should be excited about the new farming year of 2020. Growers should be considering what did well last year, what could have been improved, and deciding on what to plant for next year. But instead we cannot get 2019 over with fast enough as it just hangs on with more work to do and less income than hoped for. Well I want to talk about 2020 and the hope that farming will return back to normal, or average, or better than average.
Standing water in our Minot plots.
Wheat is a crop with much lower carry over of supply than in the past and winter wheat acres are lower than they have been in over 100 years. That should add up to higher prices and a very likely chance of profit. Wheat also is early to harvest and spreads out the farmer risk and work load. Wheat also helps the whole farm by giving crop rotation advantages for both disease and weed control which are a benefit for years to come. I am saying that all farmers should look at putting wheat acres in their farming plan and for many that have dropped the wheat rotation they should look at adding it back.
Ominous skies but some good-looking plots in Steele.
Limagrain has three wheat varieties that have very different genetics and fit very differently on your farm and for that reason a grower could easily use two or maybe all three just to diversify the farm risk and increase the chance for wheat profit. First, we have grain quality with LCS Rebel. After four years of testing by the bakers and millers, LCS Rebel earned the title of Wheat Quality Check. Then we have the yield horse with LCS Trigger. LCS Trigger is always one of the leaders in the trial and has been doing so consistently for several years on many farms in many different conditions. Finally with our newest release, LCS Cannon, you can start your harvest early with one of the fastest wheats to maturity. In addition to early maturity, LCS Cannon is a balanced line with great yield, protein and straw strength.
So just forget 2019 as fast as you can and talk to Limagrain about 2020!! The show season has started, so be sure to visit our booth. I would love to help you pick the best variety for your farm.
LCS booth at the Prairie Grains Conference.
Happy 2020,
From Russell Oberg
