Combines will be parked for a while after a big dump of snow has covered crops in Southern Alberta up to Innisfail.

Vulcan County Ag Fieldman, Kelly Malmberg, says farmers in the County have put in some impressive hours harvesting, even pulling all-nighters to make some good harvest progress in the five days leading up to the wintery storm.

He says there's a lot of canola left to combine, as well as a bit of barley and wheat, but overall harvest progress for Vulcan County is sitting around 65 to 70 per cent complete.

He explains with dry weather in August making most of the barley in the Vulcan area feed quality anyways, the big push was to make some harvest progress on wheat before the storm hit.

"I think anything in the swath, like wheat or barley, will definitely have a grade loss," he said.

Malmberg believes the canola is far enough along in maturity, the frost probably won't damage the crop.

He says on his drive to Vulcan Monday morning, some of the standing crop seemed to be holding up pretty good in spite of the heavy, wet snow, however some is lodged.

Malmberg adds, the silver lining to the snow is getting some good moisture to help forages and trees.

He's estimating it could take 10 to 14 days for the crops to dry out if the weather cooperates, at which time harvest could resume.

 

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