Farmers in Idaho’s Bingham County have endured a growing season of uncertain weather starting with a planting season beset by rain and cold spells that morphed into a summer that came with a hot spell accompanied by wind that lasted through grain harvest and into potatoes.
The heat had growers harvesting crops of earlier-maturing potatoes, like Narkotahs, up and in the fields as early as 3 a.m., trying to get their crops out of the ground and under cover before the mercury in their thermometers climbed to the 65-degree mark.
This often had them stopping before noon, but Mother Nature finally gave them a break and brought some welcome cooler weather and rain showers this month. While the rain slowed them down a bit in the beginning, the showers came with a benefit: they helped keep the soil moist for digging, and permitted a full day’s harvest.
Last week, most growers were nearing the final leg of the potato harvest, finishing off the fields of early potatoes and beginning on their crops of Russet Burbanks and other later-maturing russet varieties as they head into October and their normal finish date of mid-month.
Reports are that yields are somewhat disappointing due to the unsettled weather, but quality is good, the market is staying firm so far and will hold up if it doesn’t get flooded with too many potatoes at once, one grower said.
Growres are well aware they have no time to lose when harvest begins and there are still fields of silage corn and sugarbeets still awaiting their turn.