Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
DAVENPORT – Wheat harvest may start as early as next week in the Davenport and Reardan area, which would be seven to 10 days earlier than normal.
Though this is not certain until farmers officially begin to harvest, HighLine Grain Growers manager Beau Duff and his company expect an early start to the season.
“It seems like harvest is 7-10 days early,” Duff said. “But we don’t know for sure until farmers actually start to harvest.”
Typically, harvest in the Davenport area starts around the end of July into the beginning of August, while farmers in the Reardan area start wheat harvest shortly afterward. Davenport farmers typically finish harvest around Labor Day, while Reardan farmers go a bit past that.
However, if expectations hold true to form, some Davenport farmers could begin harvesting as soon as Monday, July 19.
Duff attributed the early start to dry conditions. This year has been among the hottest, driest and windiest in Lincoln County history.
“It’s been very dry and very hot,” he said.
The timing also depends on the type of wheat.
“There’s a lot of winter wheat and spring wheat that has different timelines,” Duff said. “It varies based on the farmer.”
No matter the timing, Lincoln County farmers figure to continue to harvest the wheat that drew many to the region upon early settlements and produce one of Eastern Washington’s largest exports.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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