Harvest USA Report

Interview Context: The broadcast interview is conducted between Hale Broadcasting and Dave Misener from Elk City, Oklahoma, discussing current agricultural conditions and challenges in the area.
Wheat Harvest in Western Oklahoma: The wheat harvesting season in western Oklahoma has begun, with initial attempts occurring south of Elk City. Farmers are experiencing low yields, ranging from 7 to 12 bushels per acre, and test weights around 57-58 pounds per bushel. Recent hailstorms caused damage, notably to properties, though crop damage was limited due to already poor conditions.
Adverse Weather Conditions: Farmers have faced challenges from varying weather conditions, including inadequate rainfall and high temperatures, affecting wheat growth and harvest potential. The region has experienced extremely high winds and dirt blowing, adding to the difficulties of farming. Some wheat that was planted later may still take another 10 days to be ready for harvest if it has not been hayed or left untended.
Economic Viability of Harvesting: Due to low yields and increased operational costs (fuel and equipment wear), farmers are assessing the economic feasibility of harvesting. Crops yielding less than six bushels per acre are often left unharvested as they do not justify the expense.
Comparative Weather Conditions: The interview contrasts weather conditions in Oklahoma with those in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, where rains and snows have more favorable effects, differing from the hot, dry, and windy conditions in Oklahoma.
Overall, the interview highlights the tough harvesting season faced by Oklahoma farmers due to a combination of poor weather and economic challenges.
 
Actual Call Audio;
 
Let's check in with our co-host David Woodruff, who has David Miesner from Elk City, Oklahoma, with a not-so-good report.
 
"This past Monday was the first day that I heard anybody trying some wheat, and got going just south of us a little bit, and it's just kind of been slowly breaking loose as this week goes on. I haven't harvested anything myself quite yet. What I've got to harvest, which ain't much for anybody around here in this part of the state in western Oklahoma, but I'm going to start next week. But so far of what I've heard from talking to farmers, if they're combining it, we're talking somewhere between 7 and 12 bushel on the wheat, and test weight for the most part's been around 57, maybe 58 pounds. We had a few rains that came through this past weekend, which of course them few guys that got it were really thankful to get it, but I can also say in the Elk City area we had quite a bit of hail, and I can't say that it really in a way did much damage to the crops, because they weren't very good, but I can say on housing and vehicles it sure did a number to them. We had a lot of pretty good size stuff, some tennis ball, baseball size hail that was in the area. Doing what we can, and the seed wheat part is going to definitely be on the short side, and guys are looking for some cover crop and just doing what they can, because mother nature didn't allow us to have much of a wheat yield this year."
 
Thanks again for the cooperation of David Misener in calling in and giving us a quality report. If you'd like to share your information, please give us a call on the numbers on the screen at HarvestUSAReport.com or on our Facebook page by the same name.
 

With some folks actually getting some cutting done, let's take a look at where our crews are, or are headed.
 
American Harvesting is in Burlington, Colorado and they recently posted a video of their travel bunkhouse for harvest season. They custom built it last winter and this will be their second year using it. There's a full video of that bunkhouse on our Facebook page at Harvest USA Report.
 
And we're asking for some prayers. Friesen Harvesting had a fire, asking for prayer for the boys. "Fire at home. Lost a lot already", they wrote. That was Friesen Harvesting.
 
And Van Driesten Harvesting asks that we say a prayer for the farmers and custom harvesters this season. We can do everything right all year and still watch it fall apart because the rain didn't come where the storms came at the wrong time. This is the part that people don't always see. The stress, the risk, the sleepless nights heading into harvest. Pray for patience, safety, good decisions and for everyone to make it home safely at the end of the day. That's from Van Driesten Harvesting.
 
Looking at some crop conditions, the winter wheat. Let's look at Kansas first. According to the USDA NNSS for the week ending May 11th, winter wheat headed was 86 percent, ahead of the 67 percent last year, and well ahead of 49 percent for the five-year average.
 
And for the Nebraska Wheat Crop Report for the week of May 10, winter wheat headed 36 percent. There's a chart from the Nebraska Wheat Board showing subsoil moisture, topsoil moisture, and the percentages of the winter wheat condition. You can find that right on our Harvest USA Facebook page, and be sure to follow us.
 
The late Howard Hale wasn't very big on social media, and since he passed away we've been trying to build that social media following up. Please follow us at Harvest USA Report on Facebook.

How about a quick update from High Plains Harvesting... The crew has been very busy prepping equipment and preparing to head south very soon. "As we head into our 15th season as owners, the wheat run is looking challenging to say the least. Perhaps the most challenging to date. Drought and late season freezes have stressed or taken out the crop across a large swath of southern run. Nevertheless, we look to make the best of what is left and we'll be ready to hit the ground running."
 
BT Harvesting is rolling out as well, and Friesen Harvesting. For them, the 2026 season has started.
 
Russell's Custom Harvesting wrote that Eric and Zach found a campground in Oklahoma and crossed the border every day to cut wheat. Camper parking is a scarce commodity. They did get their first load into the elevator today.
 
For MJB Harvesting, the 2026 season is officially underway with cutting around Haskell, Texas. "Definitely a very bleak beginning this year, but we will continue to look forward and be hopeful for what is to come."
 
And for Frederick Harvesting, the first three combines are headed south to Altus, Oklahoma. 
 
In Kansas, the Wheat Tour 26 highlighted continued stress across Kansas wheat country. Scouts evaluated 117 fields from Colby to Wichita with drought, freeze damage, and wheat streak mosaic virus sharply reducing yield potential in many areas. Check out the Kansas Wheat Post on our Harvest USA report Facebook page. 
 
And on the flip side of harvest, planting season is underway in Ransom County, North Dakota, where North Dakota Soybean Council Director Ted Brandt of Enderlin is getting the crop in the ground. Wishing all the North Dakota farmers a safe and productive season.

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We're talking to Ted Delagana.  Ted is now from Conrad, Montana, but used to be in, was it the Central Valley in California? 
 
"Central Coast, is what we call it."
 
You were involved in agriculture down there? 
 
"Yep, all my life."
 
What kind of things did you do? 
 
"We always had cattle, and then worked for different places that had cattle, and always raised our own hay for the cattle up until when we left. And then I worked for a large place that we farmed about 3,000 acres of dryland grain and hay. Hay there is all oats and barley hay, so it's all just grain hay."
 
On this side of the Madison line, my dad always called it green feed.
 
"Pretty much. We had a whole different world there, a lot of rain down there. So, why did you have the cereal grains for hay, or green feed as we call it up here, instead of like something, perennial grass? Not many, we hardly had, a lot of alfalfa hay, a lot of alfalfa, but perennial grass like they have here, almost zero. The ranch I worked for we summer followed, but where I lived, we planted winter so every year. It was just a rain thing, I think, you know, the amount of rain we get."
 
Could you get more tons per acre off of doing green feed? 
 
"There was alfalfa ranches around and they would get a ton and a half per cutting or so, I'd say, and cut five, sometimes six cuttings. But with our grain hay, we'd get as much as five times the acre on grain hay. You know, we were all selling to cattlemen, feedlots, and then we got fancy stuff. We started growing what they called forage mix. It was a mix of beardless barley, beardless wheat, and a couple varieties of oats. And we'd sell those to the racetracks like Santa Anita and a lot of horse people."
 
Ted Dalagana from Conrad, Montana with our co-host David Woodruff.
 

It's time to get rolling, whether we like it or not, and we do like to get rolling!
 
MJB Harvesting was reiterating that message, ready or not, here we go, they wrote. "Moving things along a bit earlier than normal this year. Prayers for safe travels, patience and peace of mind for harvesters and farmers this year. Every year is different, but this one is pushing the boundaries on every aspect. There is very little wheat to cut in Texas and Oklahoma, but we will be blessed with a little, so we will be thankful for that and move forward. Please pray for rain in the areas that need it most, for an abundant fall crop." That was from MJB Harvesting. 
 
We can always count on an update from Heil Harvesting, and they wrote, "and just like that, we're finished with our acres in central Oklahoma, and we're back home in Kansas. This means we're back to looking for work, so if you've got some wheat that isn't going to make it, and you're needing some swathing services, let's talk." - Heil Harvesting, LLC. 
 
Mitchell Harvesting is kicking up some dust in Texas. And Braydan Harvesting reiterated that, saying, we're set up in Texas and Oklahoma, and dust will be flying soon.
 
Froese Brothers are Texas-bound with their first round of equipment, and according to Harvest Support USA UK, wheat is being cut in Oklahoma already, and KB Custom Ag Services is getting busy for the wheat harvest around Dumas, Texas.
 
Russell's Custom Harvesting writes, "Okay, I'm not really ready, but here we go. Not even finished with the school year yet, but ready to start the harvest run." They're reportedly getting started in Texas.
 
It sounds like we finally have some action. That's a look at where a few of our crews are. Stay tuned for tomorrow's Harvest USA report to find out more. That's going to do it for today's report. 
 
Thanks again for listening, and may God bless. I'm Brian Hale.