Kingfisher County’s 2021 wheat crop is in an historically wide range of introductory stages, but one thing is constant.

It needs a “drink.”

That’s the word from Kingfisher County Agricultural Educator-OSU Extension Director Bryan Kennedy.

The new wheat crop ranges in stages from “up to a solid stand” to “dusted in” to “waiting for a rain” to start sowing.

October has been dry as a bone thus far.

Some of the early-sown wheat needs only a good rain to set the roots before it can be grazed, Kennedy said.

Other fields are up to a partial stand, needing only moisture to get it going toward a complete stand.

Some late sown wheat is beginning to emerge, using the unusually wet summer moisture to germinate and begin to appear.

Kennedy said the hot, dry winds that have been buffeting the newly-planted crop are detrimental to the crop, intensifying the dry conditions.

Some producers have already bought or arranged for stocker cattle to graze on winter wheat pasture.

They are especially concerned about drought conditions, needing rain to produce the pasture they need.

Fortunately, said Kennedy, producers baled what appears to be a record amount of hay in the county during summer months.

Producers are at the end of the baling season with only late bermuda grass remaining.

But small grain pasture is needed to provide the weight gain stockmen need to be profitable.

Kennedy said a federal program, CFAP, enacted as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been made available to agricultural producers to help them continue producing food during the national shutdown and suggested farmers and stockmen may want to contact their county Farm Service Agency for more details.

[Ed. note: See related story about the FSA’s CFAP 2 signups on this page.]