South Dakota – We are currently on our way north to South Dakota. It looks like it is full of row crops again. There are corn and soybean fields nearly everywhere on the route I’m traveling. The drought and heat is burning it up. There’s some sunflowers, winter wheat and spring wheat, but it’s mostly corn and soybeans up here.
We recently finished up in western Kansas. The wheat I harvested had good yields, test weight and protein. We had a big rain delay while we were there. Therefore, when I finished, my work in western Nebraska was already cut by Jared and Lonny. That area was severely affected by drought and there wasn’t as much as usual to cut. I have missed cutting in Oklahoma and western Nebraska this summer. I’m pretty disappointed with the tough times of wheat harvest 2026.
We used to have a nice run in South Dakota, and I really enjoyed cutting here but now the row crops leave us without much wheat to cut. Farmers used to continuously knock on our door wanting us to cut wheat. Sometimes, I have to go knocking on doors searching for work. It’s tough. Farmers have multiple combines and a crew of H2A workers and that leaves harvest crews without work.
I often get asked what my favorite crop to harvest is and wheat has been and probably always will be my favorite. All I want to do is cut wheat and keep on working.
JC, Jared and Lonny are on the move to Montana. I hope they have plenty of crops to harvest once they arrive. It’s a long trip out there and the heat doesn’t make for good traveling conditions. The next ten days are supposed to be hot and dry.
Janel can be reached at [email protected].
