An Esterhazy area farmer says when you plant 52-thousand acres, you have a lot riding on your crops.

Hrushka Farms near Esterhazy is certainly one of the largest grain farms in Saskatchewan.

Rain has been hit-and-miss this summer and Kevin Hrushka says that has impacted crop development, saying the north end of his land looks good, the south very dry.

He says the land is spread out over a large area of about 25 miles, so that variability in precipitation is probably pretty common.

“It is on a year when you rely on showers and storm systems to give you your moisture. When a big general rain comes through, then not (so much),” Hrushka said. “There’s no question about it this year is really extreme as far as the variability of showers. I talked to a couple brothers yesterday two miles apart – one guy got half-an-inch, the other guy got nothing.”

Hrushka says seeding this spring went well even though it was a little wet when they got started. He says they only grow wheat and canola, but do seed other crops such as peas and beans occasionally.

Hrushka says we are in for a long harvest this year.

“There’s areas that are going to be starting very early and I think there’s going to be crops that drag on, especially if we get some rain,” he said. “We have crops with poor emergence that’s going to need time.”

(CJGX)