Winter Wheat Crop Surprises Area Farmers Amid Extreme Weather Conditions

Area farmers have had a mixed bag of results this year, despite last winter's extreme weather conditions. Doug Finkelnburg, University of Idaho extension educator for Nez Perce County, reported that the winter wheat crop has been surprisingly good, with yields above average.

The warmer-than-usual temperatures and lower-than-average rainfall during the winter had raised concerns about the crop's performance. However, Finkelnburg said that the crop has been resilient, with one exception: a catastrophic hailstorm in the Greencreek corridor that devastated acres on both sides of it.

Although farmers were expecting an earlier start to harvest than usual, cooler temperatures and rain in late May and early June slowed the harvest down. Harvest started around July 1, which is relatively early but not as early as in past years.

Finkelnburg also mentioned a powerful hail- and windstorm that swept across the Camas Prairie on July 16, causing an estimated $1 million worth of damage to wheat crops across nearly 2,500 acres. The total losses are expected to rise as other spring crops are calculated.