“It was very timely,” Campbell stated, adding with a laugh, “I wouldn’t say it was critical, but it was critical.”
He said it was important because it would ensure germination of crops in the ground or going in, adding more confidence for producers going forward.
There was no question the conditions were dry. Campbell said he was hearing from some reports that it was drier in the area than in 1961. He had heard previously from some that ’61 was drier than the Dust Bowl in the 1930’s so that is a serious charge. Campbell did add more modern farming techniques like zero till and newer equipment have helped retain more moisture now than in the past, which might have kept the situation from being worse than it was.
“If we used the same techniques we used back in the ‘60’s and the ‘80’s it could have been a disaster. What we’ve learned and how we have adapted has made a huge improvement.”
Although harvest in the fall of 2019 was stopped due to massive amounts of precipitation that was what the 2020 crops grew off of. As Campbell stated, that is all gone now. When we look at the water tables of sloughs, dugouts and rivers, all of them are showing the signs of lack of rain and snow since that fateful fall. What we will grow on this season will be what falls from the sky.
According to the crop report, cereals are about 95-100% in the ground. Campbell said there are farmers with a few fields left to do in the area, but they are starting to finish up. Some, he said, might have been waiting for the past weekend to see how the rains turned out before finishing up fields. This might be true for canola, as it was about 55-60% finished by May 25, with the rains helping it out. Soybeans are around 70% done, flax 70% and corn 65%.
There are a few concerns. On Thursday, May 27 there was some frost. Campbell said this is worrisome for cereals that are at a leaf stage or early seeded canola. They can handle a little frost, but it is always disconcerting.
Overall, he said seeding is nearing completion. However, there are concerns for cattle producers.
The dry conditions and the cold in April have hurt, as pastures and forages are behind. This has meant many have been feeding their animals longer than usual, which is costly. Campbell said some producers might have turned their cattle out to pasture already despite the problems, hoping rain will come to replenish them. However, you do not want to give cattle access to every acre of grass. The saying goes “every day early takes three days to replenish in the fall.”
He added there are water concerns as well. Those dugouts are water sources for cattle. If they are dry, then it has to come from somewhere else. Like people, cattle need both food and water, and as Campbell stated, you can have grass, but if there is no water, you are no farther ahead. There might need to be pipelines laid, or other ingenuity by producers, as the months go by to meet this need.
This situation is known to Alfred Epp, a cattle producer in the Boissevain area located about five miles south of Boissevain. He said they received a little more rain than the town on the weekend, about an inch and a half.
“It’s a great weight lifted off to know it can rain,” Epp said. “I am very appreciative of the rain, but we will need more timely rains along the way.”
He said it should start the pasture grass, but he is still concerned about his hay crop. It needed a lot more rain by now, and could turn out average or less. Epp added this rain did improve moods somewhat, as it was the first substantial drop from the sky since the middle of last July.
“It was a long time in coming.”
Epp has over 100 cows and calves, and he said at home when calving starts in May, they do some feeding from stockpiled grass and feed for around a month before moving to total pasture grass. As well, there is some season long pasturing on rented land, where the herd moves every two days. Getting the pastures growing is obviously very important.
Epp said the dugouts are pretty dry. Campbell said usually these are filled up over winter with snowfall, which did not come this year. As Epp explained, in order for them to fill up now, the amount of rain would “flood Boissevain.”
He has had to do some work to get some more water. In April, he had to drill a new well. The old one was still working but was not enough to make up the gap. The new well lifts a burden and he should have enough water. Sources will still be a concern for a lot of cattle farmers.
Epp said he does not plant annual crops, but feels some might turn to growing more cattle feed this year.
Campbell said we need some warmer weather and more precipitation. What we received on the long weekend will buy producers another week to 10 days, but more is needed.
“I don’t think the drought is over,” he stated. “We’re hoping more rain will be coming. Once farmers put seed in the ground, there has to be optimism. The next 90 days will be extremely important in getting the crops to maturity.”

by PAUL RAYNER, Recorder staff