Last week’s rain was a blessing, but it doesn’t solve all wheat growers’ problems.

This rain doesn’t guarantee producers can kick cattle out on wheat pasture in 30 days, County Extension Director-Ag Educator Bryan Kennedy said Thursday.

“It (the rain) helped everything, but we’ll have to have some help from nature – a mild November and additional rain – to put crops in top condition,” he added.

Kennedy said that while a lot of the county’s wheat acreage has been seeded, there’s also a substantial portion – producers who don’t program for wheat pasture – that hasn’t been sown yet.

Many of the the early sown fields came up to partial stands before last week’s rains. It was getting grim – very dry – before the rain, Kennedy indicated.

“It’s a challenge, but that’s not new,” he pointed out.

“The guys (producers) jumped in early – earlier than normal – to plant their fields in order to try to get a good start.”

The weather didn’t cooperate, turning dry after an early shower, preventing the seed to germinate, sprout and produce new seedlings.

Producers rely on weather at every stage to produce a profitable crop.

Meanwhile the wheat market has been languishing in the lower $6 per bushel range.

On the bright side, there has been no reported insect damage – greenbugs or armyworms – to battle.

Also positive has been the cattle market.

It’s still good with 700 pounders selling at $3-plus a pound at the Oklahoma City auction market recently, Kennedy said.

“Of course, the entire U.S. economy is unstable at this time with prices rising to unexpected levels, including the input costs for the new grain crops.”

While those costs have soared, the wheat market has been losing ground.

Citing the rising prices of beef, Kennedy said that a ribeye steak which cost $10.50 to $11.50 10 months ago now sells for $15 a pound.

Last week’s rains, while fairly generous, produced more moisture in some areas of the county than others.

Kennedy reported a total of 4.1 inches at his farm southwest of Hennessey.

The Hennessey CHS elevator reported a total of 3.4 inches.

Okarche Grain and Feed Elevator, west of Okarche, recorded two inches of rain.

Wheeler Brothers Elevator at Omega reported 2.9 inches. Cashion Grain and Feed Elevator recorded 1.5 inches.

A total of three inches for the week was reported from the Mike and Donna Reid residence southwest of Kingfisher.

Mesonet rainfall reports included 2.58 inches at the site on the Mueggenborg Farm immediately west of Kingfisher, 1.88 inches at Watonga, 1.98 inches at Marshall, 1.48 inches at El Reno and 1.45 inches at Guthrie.

The Tom Arms’ Facebook page showed several other rainfall reports including: Arms residence, west of Kingfisher, 3.25 inches; JoAnn Holthus, east of Dover, 3.7 inches; Jon Cochran at Loyal, three inches, and Mike Dobrinski residence, Okeene, 2.1 inches.

Now the question is will the wheat that did not come up in the early-sown fields sprout and emerge with the new moisture?