Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For the audio version, visit kswheat.com.

This year’s Kansas wheat harvest has been far from typical. Rainfall happening throughout the state during the entire harvest process has slowed efforts and even caused some localized quality issues for farmers. The delays have created an opportunity for Kansas wheat farmers who need help getting their harvest done quickly, as well as for custom harvesting crews whose own schedules have been pushed back by the rain. Experienced wheat harvesting crews are still available and ready to help wrap up wheat harvest.

In the latest episode of Wheat’s On Your Mind, Aaron Harries, vice president of research and operations at Kansas Wheat, sits down with Lyle Friesen of Friesen Harvesting to talk about the realities of custom harvesting and how his family-run business adapts to a harvest season full of surprises.

“Wheat harvest isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life,” said Lyle Friesen, owner and third-generation custom harvester from Meade, Kansas. “We’re not just running machines, we’re helping families bring in their livelihoods.”

Friesen Harvesting, based in Meade, Kansas, is a third-generation, family-owned custom harvesting business built on values of honesty, hard work and Christian faith. Founded in the early 1950s with a single Massey combine and a Chevy truck, the operation has grown into a modern fleet of John Deere S770 combines and Kenworth trucks. Friesen Harvesting provides professional custom harvesting services for winter wheat, spring wheat, durum, peas and lentils along a northbound route from Oklahoma to Montana. In the fall, they harvest corn, milo and soybeans within a 100-mile radius of Meade. Their crew culture emphasizes professionalism, safety and a family-friendly environment, making them a dependable and trusted partner for farmers across the plains.

Much like many other custom harvesters, their northbound harvest route usually stretches from Oklahoma to Montana, but this year’s weather has complicated that traditional migration. New wheat varieties, tighter labor markets and high input costs have added pressure to custom harvest operations. At the same time, growers struggling with rain delays may find themselves with ripe fields but no available crew.

That’s where U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. (USCHI) can help. USCHI’s online harvester database connects growers with professional harvest crews across the country, many of whom are still seeking work due to this year’s interrupted harvest flow. With some areas still too wet to cut and others drying out quickly, Kansas producers can turn to the directory to find skilled, ready crews who may be available nearby.

Kansas-based custom harvester Jacob Hermesch, who is listed on USCHI.com, has been working through tough, muddy conditions and taking on new acres where he can.

“There’s demand for harvesters right now — farmers have the crop ready, they just need someone who can actually get through the fields,” Hermesch said.

Hermesch is currently running near Kinsley but said he’s open to picking up more acres, especially along U.S. Highway 36. With scattered rain in the forecast, Hermesch and others like him represent a timely opportunity for Kansas farmers looking to finish strong.

With harvest windows narrowing and timing critical, Kansas growers are encouraged to visit USCHI.com to find a custom harvester who can help finish the job.

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For audio version, visit kswheat.com.

This is day 7 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Harvest progress continues across Kansas, with some areas moving slowly due to wet conditions while others have managed to dodge the rain and are preparing to wrap up harvest. Farmers and custom harvesters are adapting to challenges to keep things moving.

Shane Eck with the Pawnee County Coop Association in Larned reports that harvest is 75% to 85% complete in their region. Harvest conditions have been mostly favorable as they have missed most of the heavy rain events but had some scattered rains.

Yields are ranging from 20 to 60 bushels per acre, which is, for the most part, an improvement over the drought-stricken crops of the past two years. They have already exceeded their take of wheat from last year and are above their five-year average. Test weights were averaging 58 pounds with some lower numbers in rainfall areas. Test weights and yields have been impacted by wheat streak mosaic virus and other associated viral diseases which have become more common in the region over the past three years. Proteins are averaging around 12%.

Paul Penner, a farmer in Marion County, has been harvesting on and off due to repeated rain delays. Wet conditions have made progress slow, and Penner estimates he has about three to four days left to go. He’s working to balance wrapping up harvest while also getting soybeans in the ground without damaging fields.

Test weights started around 60 pounds but have since dipped, now ranging closer to 56 to 59 pounds following the recent rains. The wet fields have been one of the biggest challenges this season. Penner planted KS Providence, AG Radical and AP Prolific, all of which are performing well so far.

Custom harvester Jacob Hermesch is cutting wheat near Kinsley, Kansas, where recent rains have made fields difficult to access without specialized equipment. Hermesch said tracks have made the difference this season, allowing his crew to keep working while others are sidelined by the mud.

“I got my combine stuck four times in one day,” Hermesch said. “But the tracked machine just walks right through it, no problem.”

Despite good wheat in the area, the wet conditions are slowing progress and putting extra stress on equipment. Hermesch estimates yields are ranging from 30 to 70 bushels per acre, depending on how well the crop was managed. He noted that demand for help is high in the Kinsley area, especially from farmers short on equipment. Even with the challenges he has faced, Hermesch is open to picking up more acres, especially closer to home along Highway 36.

The 2025 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on social media, use #wheatharvest25. Tag us at @kansaswheat to share your harvest story and photos.

Contact: Marsha Boswell, [email protected]

For audio version, visit kswheat.com.

This is day 6 of the Kansas Wheat Harvest Reports, brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council.

Harvest continues across Kansas, with the USDA reporting it halfway complete, behind last year but close to the five-year average. Farmers are still seeing the effects of heavy rainfall, with muddy fields and delayed progress in several areas. Despite the setbacks, farmers across the state continue to make progress as June comes to an end.

Officially, the Kansas wheat harvest is 53 percent complete, well behind 76 percent complete last year but near 56 percent average, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service crop progress report for the week ending June 29, 2025. Winter wheat conditions were rated 24 percent poor to very poor, 28 percent fair and 48 percent good to excellent.

In south central Kansas and north along the I-135 corridor, excessive rainfall on mature wheat has made harvest difficult. As fields start to dry out and combines cut around mud holes, some localized quality issues are being reported.

In Edwards County, farmer Danny Hattrup started cutting around June 17 and is now about two-thirds of the way through harvest. He’s hoping to wrap things up within the next week. Progress has been slowed by rain delays and lingering muddy spots, which have made fieldwork more complicated than usual.

On Monday, the field Hattrup was cutting was yielding around 50 bushels per acre, with a test weight a little below an average year, around 59 pounds per bushel. Hattrup planted two different wheat varieties this season, and both are performing about the same so far.

This past weekend, harvest became a true team effort with help from his daughters, Brooke and Shelby and his son-in-law Cole, all pitching in to keep things moving.

Harvest is underway in Scott County, where Brinlee McNary, grain merchandiser for the Scott Coop, reported they took in their first load on June 20. She said timely spring rains helped the wheat significantly in the area, contributing to a strong start. The elevator has received about 40 percent of its expected volume so far.

Yields have been highly variable, ranging from 40 to 80 bushels per acre, but McNary noted yields are a little higher than in an average year. Protein levels have ranged from 7 to 15 percent, with the average coming in just under 12 percent.

McNary said the main challenges of this harvest have been the wet conditions and the presence of wheat streak mosaic virus, which has affected some fields in the area.

The 2025 Harvest Report is brought to you by the Kansas Wheat Commission, Kansas Association of Wheat Growers, Kansas Grain and Feed Association and the Kansas Cooperative Council. To follow along with harvest updates on social media, use #wheatharvest25. Tag us at @kansaswheat to share your harvest story and photos.