Wheat harvest picked up speed Wednesday in southern Kingfisher County...just in time for Thursday weather to slow it back down.

Loads of new crop wheat arrived in increasing volume at a number of elevators although all sites indicated wet fields

[See Harvest, Page 3] were still holding up many producers from starting their combines.

Hennessey was still waiting for harvest to start due to heavy rains a week earlier.

Fields are still too wet (to support harvest equipment), Debbie Gaither reported.

Randall Varnell, manager of the Wheeler Brothers Grain elevator in Kingfisher, said wheat was beginning to arrive.

“Everyone’s looking for dry ground,” he said.

Most producers are getting in their better wheat first with some reports of yields in the 40 bushes per acre range.

Protein is running 12.5% to 13.5%.

Varnell noted that the company’s Alva elevator is still three to four days away from harvest.

He said he has heard of no problem in finding custom harvesters.

Chris Townsley of the CHS elevator in Kingfisher said it appears about half of the elevator’s customers are beginning to try to harvest.

He said reported yields are all over the place with wheat weights holding up – in the 56 to 60 pound range. Cashion Grain and Feed reported wheat began arriving Wednesday.

“They’re doing all right,” a spokesman replied when asked about yields and weights.

Okarche Grain and Feed received wheat on Wednesday, although the reports of “soggy fields” were prevalent there, also.

Jason Kroener, general manager for CHS, reported that harvest had picked up markedly by Thursday with yields somewhat above what were expected.

However, he pointed out that producers were harvesting their better wheat first so an average will not be known until the end of harvest.

Thursday night rains added to the wet conditions in county fields with areas around Okarche reporting the most rainfall.

Storms that pushed through the state produced multiple tornadoes and other reported high winds.

No major damage in Kingfisher County was reported by press time, but one rain report hit two inches about three miles east of Okarche.

Other reports in and around Okarche ranged from .5 to .9 inch of rain.

Steve Loftis’ National Weather Service station recorded .25 inch of rain while other reports in Kingfisher saw as much as .4 inch as well as .5 inch just east of town.