The 2020 Kingfisher County wheat harvest is on the downhill run – and it’s been great.

Not only has the weather been ideal for harvest – sunny and dry – but yields and quality have been exceptional.

Elevator operators countywide indicated the harvest was half complete or more by Monday.

Ideal weather has assisted local producers in making short work of this year’s harvest.

Some believe the majority of the harvest will be substantially completed by mid-week.

Producer spirits are high because of the speed of the harvest – no weather stoppages – and the quality of the grain.

Cashion Grain and Feed Elevator Manager John Schaefer estimated harvest at about the halfway mark.

Test weights have never been so consistently high in his tenure there, running in the 60s, many in the high 60s.

An Okarche CHS Elevator spokesman Monday estimated the harvest at 80 to 85 percent complete with most weights above 60 pounds per bushel.

B. J. Waeger manager of the Wheeler Brothers Elevator at Omega said the harvest has put everybody in a good mood with good yields, ranging from 40 bushels per acre to some in the 70s, and exceptionally heavy wheat, virtually all No 1.

Kingfisher CHS Elevator manager Chris Townsley estimated the harvest at 50 percent or more complete.

“Nothing is weighing under 60 pounds with 64 and 65 the norm,” Townsley said, adding that he had heard yields from 40 to 60 bushels per acre.

(The historic county average is about 35 bushels). Okarche Grain and Field Elevator Manager Gary Altizer called the harvest “really great.”

He said the wheat was weighing 60 pounds and higher with one load from Jim Wittrock testing 66.7 pounds.

Altizer reported hearing yields of 40 to 70 bushels. He estimated the harvest at “probably 85 percent” complete and estimated the heavy runs would be over by the middle of the week.

A Hennessey CHS Elevator spokesperson reported some farmers are done or finishing up Monday while others are just starting.

Test weights of 60 pounds and above are the norm.

Eugene Roach at the CHS Elevator at Loyal estimated harvest at 70 to 75 percent complete with outstanding yields and grades.

He estimated some producers, especially those who harvest their own fields, may require another 10 days or so to finish.

Randall Varnell, manager of the Wheeler Brothers Elevator location in Kingfisher estimated the harvest run would be greatly reduced by the end of the week with no weather problems.

He said yields and test weights have remained good with reports of yields from 32 to 60 bushels per acre.

Because of early season weather events, including a late freeze that affected some fields and an April spell of hot, dry days that put the crop under stress, there was early concern about this year’s crop.

As it turned out, it’s been an unusual harvest because of the lack of significant problems.

Many recalled last year when heavy May rains left fields sodden and combines getting stuck in mud was an everyday occurrence.

After having a full 10 days of open weather, the local forecast calls for continued clear skies and high temperatures through Friday.