Storm sets back harvest in east-central Saskatchewan

A storm in east-central Saskatchewan has put farmers in a tough spot.

On Tuesday night, heavy rain and hail hit Theodore, located about 40 kilometres northwest of Yorkton.

A fallen tree at Adam Stuart’s farm on Sept. 18, 2019. (Submitted/Adam Stuart)

Adam Stuart farms just north of Theodore. His crops were devastated by the hail.

“The canola has taken a particular beating. There are some spots where there are 20 per cent, 50 per cent, all the way up to 100 per cent taken out,” he said. “It’s not good, let’s put it that way.”

He’ll do everything he can to recover the crops, but he’s sure much of them are gone for good.

“This is going to hurt quite a bit,” he said. “Let’s face it. Unless we get some good weather … well, even then, you can’t replace the quality that’s already lost.”

The rain has been giving him trouble this season as well.

“We’ve had a few days that have been good, but the problem is you get one or two days of combining, then you get a rain. You have to let the crop dry for almost two or three days after that, and then you get another rain,” Stuart said.

The conditions have put his harvest far behind where it would normally be. Of his 1,200 acres, he has only finished around 250. He would usually have done more than 1,000 acres by this time.

“It’s definitely going to be a long harvest out here,” he said.

A difficult seeding season was also a factor.

“You had a spring that was way too dry, crops didn’t take off right off the bat,” Stuart said. “Crops didn’t really grow until June when we got the first real rain.”

As tough as it is, Stuart said it’s just a part of working in agriculture.

“That’s the business we’re in. You’re kind of dependent on Mother Nature. When Mother Nature likes throwing curveballs, she really likes throwing curveballs,” he explained. “I don’t think anybody really prepared for it.”