Eastern Canada got chastised this spring with a wet spring. The Ottawa Valley was hit very hard with a bulging Ottawa River. This flooded all cottages and homes that were built near a flood zone. This flood zone even expanded to cover a larger area after flooding this spring. Some houses built on a hill left owners very surprised to find wet basements that were never damp before.
All valley farmers had to deal with fields that were too wet to plant on time. Some fields were not planted at all. Most farmers had to make adjustments to the late spring by changing seed to a shorter season variety that will yield less in the fall or switch to another crop which requires a shorter growing season.
The farmers who have crop insurance had to deal with some pencil pusher in a dry office and persuade him that changes must be made before the farmer could do his best to get something planted.
The grass hay grew well with the wet spring but trying to get the hay cut and saved on time before it got too mature and high in fiber was extremely difficult. Farmers who made damp bales wrapped in plastic or made haylage chopped and stored damp in silos could save some early cut hay if they were lucky enough to cut on the first day of a very short four day dry week in early June.
Legume hay which is higher in protein was later to grow and mature and anyone who waited for it to reach maximum yield, probably has not got dry hay weather yet.
All crops require lots of sunny days or high heat units which are not up to average this year.
These lower heat units will result in lower grain yields this fall. Grain buyers have already estimated this and are forecasting higher prices per tonne this fall.
Last year Fort McMurray got hammered with a wild fire that destroyed most of the town and chased away thousands of inhabitants. Some of these residents went back home to be with far away relatives in the east.
About the same time oil prices crashed and oil exploration work dried up. Many of the residents who left that day never returned.
July 2017 will be a year to never forget for many B.C residents, as almost 300 wildfires terrorize the province and have displaced nearly 8,000 residents. As of the second week of July, B.C. is still experiencing dry lightning strikes and no rain in sight for another week.
Some of us have friends and relatives who live within the danger zone in the interior of B.C. Some power lines and communication towers are non-functional and friends of those who live in interior B.C. are anxiously awaiting news of these peoples safety.
Some cattle and other livestock were moved to a safe location but owners learned later that some of those presumed safe locations were in the path of a new fire.
When facing disaster, we must always look for a glimmer of sunshine or at least a lesson learned to carry us on. When a farmer gets too much rain and spoils a field of hay, he must think at least there is a second cut growing up under that rained on hay. At least we have hay to spoil that we wouldn’t have in a drought year.
The house with the wet basement will teach builders to surround houses with drainage tile leading to a sewer or ditch. Building or buying a house in a flood zone will teach a very expensive lesson.
Fort McMurray residents were first to respond to the needs of B.C. firefighters and residents with gas, water, toilet paper, bandages, energy drinks, etc.
We must change what we can, don’t worry about what we can’t change and thank God for giving us the brains to know the difference.
Yesterday I received a picture by text of some of my B.C. relatives seated in lawn chairs with their pets safely seated beside them in the shade of some motor homes, all parked in a Walmart parking lot. There was a caption below that read ‘party on!’ We’re Canadian Eh.
Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon
on land that has been in his
family for generations.
gladcrest@gmail.com
