Reg Golding in his rejuvenated Hayter hay field. ©Provost News Photo. Want to Subscribe to The Provost News? Click here.
Rains Replenish Subsurface Moisture Reserve
Recent rains in the area are building up sub-surface reserves of moisture says mixed farmer Keith Degenhardt of Hughenden.

He’s “very pleased” with the five inches of rain that fell so far at the farm a mile east of Hughenden from June 8 until he was contacted by The News on July 9.

The last heavy showers he saw in the area was in 1997 in late June or early July.

The recent rains also mean that the grasshoppers are not nearly as active because of the cooler weather.

Degenhardt’s hay crop was not looking great in May but there’s a “decent” crop coming now.

In his other crops a really heavy growth was coming—but there was some leaf loss before the rains so the crop was beginning to go backwards.

Meanwhile about an hour’s drive east of Hughenden, Reg Golding who farms near Hayter says the recent rains have been the “best rainfall seen in about 20 years.” He farms a quarter section east of Hayter and also works for Eastview Farms near Cadogan. “We hadn’t any sub soil moisture before, we were just about depleted.” Now, Golding says, they have a lush growth right now and thinks they will need another good rain in about a week. “Those downpours, you lose a lot.”
The Hayter farmer says that generally all crops are looking good but hopes for clearing weather to put up hay. An early frost hurt the alfalfa crop so he does not have an abundance of that right now. The brome crop however is “coming good.” Two years ago, Golding had 60 acres in hay and during the drought wound up with eight round bales. Last year 82 round bales were produced on the same land and “this year, who knows, until it’s cut and baled up?”

“It looks like a good crop coming, but there’s always the ‘ifs’. Let’s hope we don’t get a hailstorm.”

Three miles south east of Altario Gloria Galloway says the rain means “lots of feed if there’s no hail” for the mixed farming operation.

Galloway says they received just under three inches of rain since July 1 and said that before that winds and heat had started to burn the crops. They are “coming along nicely now.” She can’t remember the last time there had been so much rain.

Rancher Pat Ference who lives 12 miles south and west of Amisk also can’t remember the last time so much rain fell at one time and this “gives hope and relief ” to their cattle situation so they can hang on longer.

Rest of the story and photo in July 14 edition of The Provost News.
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'This is My Secret Garden'—94 Year Old Expert
Picture and story in July 14 edition of The Provost News.
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Alberta First Province to Eliminate Debt
Story in July 14 edition of The Provost News.
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Street Spokesman
This week we asked: "If You Could Choose Anyone as Prime Minister, Who Would it be?"
. . . and we heard opinions from Amanda Northam, Colton Walsh, Kayla Gramlich, Kaylan White and Donna Bengston.
Check out the July 14 edition of The Provost News for their answers.
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