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Old Man Winter arrives early

Old Man Winter arrives early

Some Montana communities received two feet of snow over the weekend

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Some farmers are already surrounded by snow despite the fact the first day of winter is months away.

Areas of Montana received up to 40 inches of snow starting Friday and over the weekend, prompting Governor Steve Bullock to declare a state of emergency on Sunday.

The storm brought heavy and wet snow, high winds that have downed powerlines and trees, road closures and the potential for flooding.

The snowfall also abruptly suspended wheat harvest in the state.

Montana wheat farmers harvested about 80 percent of their crops, the USDA’s Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin said on Sept. 24.

But until some of the snow melts, machinery will sit idle, said Lyle Benjamin, a cash crop producer from Sunburst, Mont. and president of the Montana Grain Growers Association.

“I’m about two miles south of (the Alberta border) and we got about 18 inches of snow,” he told Farms.com. “Nobody is going anywhere, mail delivery is stopped, school is closed, and everything is basically shut down.”

About 80 percent of Benjamin’s wheat crop is in the bin. Combining the remaining acres will be challenging.

“The crops out in the field are going to be snowed flat and will be very difficult to pick up,” he said. “All of the equipment that’s out in the yard has probably 18 inches of snow on their roofs. We’ve had snow in September but it’s usually just an inch or two. This volume of snow is very unusual.”

For some producers, if the cold snap breaks, the heavy snow may help the soil before winter wheat seeding.

Charles Bumgarner, a cash cropper from Great Falls, Mont., is finished with spring wheat harvest and is waiting to plant winter wheat.

The snow will help soften up the soil for when the planter rolls through, he said.

“We’re still in good shape,” he said. “This storm actually wasn’t a bad thing for us. We have moisture underneath (the soil) but the top four inches or so was really dry and rough on equipment. The snow will give us the moisture we need now to have good planting conditions.”

Great Falls received 9.7 inches of snow on Saturday. That amount broke the one-day Sept. 28 snowfall record for the community. The previous record was 6.1 inches in 1954.


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US “Flash Drought” Worst in 133-160 Years + Disease taking a Bite out of US 2025 Corn/Soybean Crops

Video: US “Flash Drought” Worst in 133-160 Years + Disease taking a Bite out of US 2025 Corn/Soybean Crops


A dry August and a “flash drought” in the ECB (Eastern Corn Belt) the driest top 10 to 15 years in 150 to 160 years (Ohio the driest in 133 years) plus disease is taking a bite out of the 2025 U.S. corn and soybean crops.
It's going to be an early harvest. This could be the start of the 89-year drought cycle that may have been delayed until 2026 as La Nina maybe returning.
The USDA September crop report is all about record corn ears and record soybean counts but the October USDA crop report will be about pod and ear weights.
Stats Canada reported higher forecasts for the 2025 Canadian Prairies all wheat and canola crops vs. last year based on satellite imagery but are they overestimating production?
The 2025 Great ON Yield Tour and Quebec crop tours are projecting corn and soybean crops below the 10-year average.
China's Vice Commerce Ministry Li Chenggang visits Washington this week as we continue to connect the dots is a positive sign towards a China/U.S. trade deal. But will U.S. farmers have a winter without China as they buy more soybeans from Uruguay/Argentina? U.S. Northern Plain soybean farmers are seeing red with flat prices at $8.97/bu!
U.S. corn exports on record pace up 99% vs. last year.
Fund short covering continues in corn futures bottom is in!