With seeding officially wrapped up across much of the southwest, local producer Daryl Moffat says things are off to a promising start on his family-run grain farm located northwest of Cabri in the RMs of Riverside and Miry Creek.
"We completed seeding about eight or nine days ago," said Daryl Moffat. "We just did our first load of in-crop herbicide on some canola today."
The Moffat family operation is strictly a grain farm, having stepped away from cattle years ago. Their acres are planted with durum wheat, lentils, chickpeas, and canola staple crops in the region's cash crop portfolio.
While seeding went smoothly this spring, Moffat says the season's success now hinges on the weather's continued cooperation.
"Things are off to an excellent start," he said.
"We were fortunate to catch some rain about seven days ago, and the crops look good. But the wind and heat are taking their toll quickly, so we're hoping for some timely rains in June to keep everything on track."
The Moffat farm is very much a family affair. Daryl, his wife, and three sons run operations alongside one full-time hired hand and additional seasonal help during seeding and harvest.
"It's a busy time of year for us," Moffat said. "But with the team we have, we make it work."
As producers across southwest Saskatchewan continue monitoring early crop development, many echo the same sentiment: a strong start is encouraging, but timely rain will be key to finishing strong.