Mix of rain, hot weather present challenge for farmers in central Alberta

Wet weather, heat lead to unusual crop situation Farmers are finding their crops in a unique position after a mix of heat and rain this summer. Jessica Robb explains.

Spring and summer have brought plenty of heat and rain, but it's not all good news for farmers.

Scott Jespersen says it's created a unique situation.

"We've been doing this a long time and we've never seen such variability in our crop, different maturities," he said on Thursday of the canola crop on his farm about five kilometres north of Stony Plain.

"We have stuff that grew in the early season, in May when it was dry. And after the rain came, we have another crop growing. The variability in the crop is going to be the biggest challenge for harvest."

It's a similar story in his wheat field.

"You've got this crop down here, and then you have the secondary crop coming up through here," he said, pointing to the different heights of wheat in the field.

The Alberta Wheat Commission says he's not alone in his battle against the two-stage crop.

"Specifically those regions that did get the rain that came in the middle of June and later part of June," said Jeremy Boychyn of the Alberta Wheat Commission. "In the southern part of the province, they're seeing a bit less of this because they didn't get those mid-season rain falls to help things along."

Boychyn says the varied conditions present different problems to farmers.

"It's going to be important for farmers to make sure that they go look into their field, see what they're dealing with in terms of crop staging and continue to monitor weather as they move forward."

Jespersen says that could mean a late harvest for his crops.

"We're going to wait for the later stuff to get to maturity and then we're going to deal with yield and quality... That will be the challenge for us."