Alberta Harvest Reaches 89% Done

With more than 10% of this year’s crop still out in the field, the harvest is now likely finished for this year in some parts of Alberta, according to the latest weekly crop report.

 

Released on Friday, the report pegged the overall harvest in the province at about 89% complete as of Nov. 5, up about 8 points from a week earlier but behind last year when 95% of the crop was off at this time. Of this year’s unharvested crops, just over half were estimated to be still standing with the remainder in the swath.

 

“In many areas, the recent snowfall with more still in the forecast, is most likely to bring harvest to a complete halt for the season,” the report said. “Some planted acres will be abandoned, while those with yield potential will likely remain unharvested until spring.”

 

About 97% of the crops were off in the South Region, followed by the North West and the Central regions at 93% and 92%. The North East was about 87% done, while just 63% of the crops were off in the Peace.

 

An estimated 90% of the spring wheat crop was in the bin across the province, along with 93% of the barley, 85% of the oats, 83% of the canola, 97% of the dry peas and 88% of the flax. The harvest of most other crops was either complete or nearly complete.

 

Regional grading is greatly variable across the province, as crop quality over the season has been impacted by hail damage, severe frost and harvest date in different regions. Provincially, about 74% of hard red spring wheat and 83% of durum wheat are graded in the top two grades. About 34% of barley is eligible for malt and 47% graded as No. 1 feed. For oats, about 56% is graded in the top two grades. Almost 78% of canola is graded as No. 1, with another 14% as No. 2. For dry peas, about 21% is graded as No. 1, 52% as No. 2, 19% as No. 3 and 8% as feed.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.