This fall has brought in a successful harvest for both Mountain View and Red Deer counties thanks to the warm and dry conditions this season.ìThe weather really co-operated, and that 100 per cent makes the biggest difference for the harvest,î said Art Preachuk, agricultural services manager for Red Deer County.ìCompared to last year we had an earlier harvest ñ however, we are on par with the overall yearly average,î said Jane Fulton, agriculture fieldman and manager of agricultural services for Mountain View County.This year Red Deer County saw above-average yields, with barley and wheat up to 100 bushels per acre, and canola up to 60 bushels an acre.While the autumn months were kind to the crops, though, the spring and summer were not as fair, according to Preachuk.ìA lot of crops yields were varied because of the rough spring, and the cold summer, which lasted up to around July,î said Preachuk. ìThere were also some drowned-out spots. Overall though we saw great crops across the mark.îMountain View County also experienced wetter situations this year, with June and July chill and rains requiring that a number of fungicides be applied to crops.ìSome farmers that I spoke to were very pleased with the quality of their yields this year,î said Reeve Bruce Beattie.ìIt was a really good year overall. There was some concern that crops weren't going to be put into the bin prior to frost but we were fortunate to get them in before that happened.îProduct prices are also looking very favourable at present, for both grain and canola.ìProducts have been maintaining good prices now and throughout the summer,î said Preachuk.ìGrain prices are good on the world market right now, and Canada's prices have been good as well,î said Beattie.ìThere are nice prices for canola right now as well, which has been under pressure for the last while. The livestock side is doing very well right now too. It's a nice combination that doesn't happen too often,î Beattie said.
