It's not just a bumper crop, it's a "bumper to bumper" crop.
That's how Vicki Dutton of the Western Grain and Processing Division of Toepfer International is describing the crop coming off Saskatchewan fields.
As buyers, Dutton says they are seeing amazing quality.
"Most farmers must be having a hard time getting the smile off their faces," she said Wednesday.
The Dutton family farms in the area as well and Vicki said she's been riding in the combine with her husband David as often as possible just to enjoy seeing "such a treasure" coming in.
Things may have gotten off to a late start because of the late melting snow and then a rainy spell, but the summer heat has done its job.
This has been the year of "big," said Dutton. "Big snow, big rain, big crops."
In the North Battleford area, Tim Charabin of Charabin Seed Farm says their yield has been higher than average.
"It has to be to make up for the flooding in the spring," he said Tuesday.
There are some fields that were affected, he said, but overall the yield has been decent.
The late spring saw a late start to harvest.
"We started about a week behind normal," said Charabin. "It wasn't too terrible."
Most of the farmers he's talked to in his area are in the same situation, he said, although he hears things are a bit later farther north.
Charabin, who farms with his brother Dale, said they are about half done harvesting, and they expect to be done in about two weeks, providing the weather holds. They are harvesting wheat, canola, oats and peas.
Heath Gabruch, who farms north of the city, said Wednesday this year is "one for the books."
He has finished his harvest and has seen canola and hard red spring wheat yielding higher than 60 bushels.
It's not only the volume that has farmers talking, he added, but the quality as well. The weather has been holding, allowing the crops to mature to a good quality and the cooler temperatures in August kept the crop from burning.
The high quality and yields are also consistent, he said, not just a field here and a field there.
"Bin space is at a premium," he said. There will be a lot of grain on the ground until farmers are able to move it later on.
Ralph Hall, who farms east of North Battleford, says he's out of bin space because the crops are so good.
"Fortunately, we didn't have rain from the 24th of June until the end of July," Hall said Wednesday, "and on a lot of our land it could have been another half again. But I'm already spilling grain on to the ground, so it's maybe a welcome thing that that's the case, because I don't know what I'd do with it."
While farmers around North Battleford say two weeks should wrap things up for most farmers, out Maidstone way, Vic Hult agrees.
He's also predicting record yields, 40 to 50 bushels to the acre.
There are heavy crops all around his area, said Hult Wednesday.
Most of the canola is swathed, he said, and local producers are moving on to the wheat.
Towards Medstead, where Ken Arsenault farms, the yield is looking good there, too. He says he hasn't sold any of it yet, so he can't say for sure what quality it is, but he's looking forward to a good crop.
In its latest crop report, Sept. 3 to 9, for northwestern Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Agriculture says 16 per cent of the crop is in the bin, and 44 per cent is swathed or ready to straight-cut. Most areas received no rain during the past week.
The report says harvest is furthest advanced in Crop District 9AW (Shellbrook, North Battleford, Big River and Hafford areas), where 20 per cent of the crop has been combined. Crop District 9B (Meadow Lake, Turtleford, Pierceland, Maidstone and Lloydminster areas) has 13 per cent combined. Average to above-average yields are being reported.
Dry conditions are also being reported by the ministry. Topsoil moisture on cropland is rated as 56 per cent adequate, 31 per cent short and 13 per cent very short. Topsoil moisture on hay land and pasture is reported as 46 per cent adequate, 40 per cent short and 14 per cent very short. Pasture conditions in some areas are very dry. There are a couple reports of cattle being moved home due to dry conditions and inadequate pasture growth.
The report also says very little crop damage has been reported in the region and that producers are busy harvesting and hauling bales.
