If there is such a thing as a normal crop year in Kingfi sher County, it apparently didn’t happen in 2023.

Asked about the growth of green showing up in fields approaching harvest, Kingfisher County OSU Extension Director-Agricultural Educator Bryan Kennedy remarked: “This is a mess.” He said May rains after a long drought caused plants which had quit growing and entered a type of dormancy to come alive and start maturing.

On the bright side, however, he said that the wheat is approaching maturity and with a few days of sunshine and southerly wind, it could speed up the maturation process.

He speculated that some farmers with bigger acreage might begin harvesting as soon as fields are dry enough to support harvesting equipment.

Isolated heavy rainfall, particularly in northern Kingfisher County, last week further complicated the harvest picture.

Kennedy said he heard of an eight-inch downpour on one farm east of Hennessey.

Three to four inches fell in an area east of Hennessey and were reported in several instances.

Kennedy said he recorded close to three inches at his residence west of Hennessey.

While the rain has created a confusing harvest scenario for small grains, the rain has been beneficial in some ways.

Pastures, lawns and gardens benefitted from the moisture, and some stockmen caught significant amounts of water in their stock ponds, many of which had gotten low or dried up.

Hauling water daily to a herd of cows doesn’t create much enthusiasm, Kennedy said.