Wheat harvest will begin in Robeson County very soon. Harvest is beginning slightly later this year than in past years because of the cool spring, later maturing varieties, and wetter than normal conditions. By the end of June, more than 40,000 acres of wheat will be harvested, providing more than 2,500,000 bushes, with a value of more than $12 million.

Robeson County is the leading wheat-producing county in North Carolina. Our farmers plant more acres of wheat than is planted in any other county. However, because our sandy loam soils are less productive than soils in some other counties, average yields are often higher in those counties.

As wheat is harvested, most farmers will quickly prepare their fields and plant soybeans. This practice is called double-cropping - planting two different crops in the same field during the same production year. Since the same equipment is used to plant and harvest both wheat and soybeans, this practice allows farmers to gain much greater use of their equipment. In addition, it allows an income from one crop during the spring and from another crop during the fall, which increases cash flow for the farm operation.

Most of the wheat that is grown in Robeson County will be used for the production of animal feeds. Harvested wheat will be delivered to local feed mills that will process feeds for chickens or hogs. Some of the wheat will be stored in large grain bins on the farm for later delivery to the feed mills.

Some feed grade wheat will be delivered to export terminals along the eastern seaboard and shipped to other countries. Farmers do not usually export their own wheat but rather will sell to a grain buyer who will then assemble large quantities for export.

Some of the wheat produced in the county will be milling quality and will find its way to flour mills throughout the southeast. We grow soft, red winter wheat in this area, which is used to make cookies and crackers. This wheat is not suitable for making breads or rolls. So the next box of cookies you buy in the supermarket may be made from wheat that was grown right here in Robeson County.

Some local farmers grow wheat for major seed companies. This wheat is grown under very strict production practices to prevent diseases or unwanted weed seeds from being present. When harvested, this wheat is delivered to the seed companies where it is cleaned, treated, and bagged. This wheat is then placed in controlled storage to be sold to local farmers this coming fall as they plant their wheat crops for next year.

During this time of the year, large combines will be moving in and out of grain fields, and both combines and grain trucks will be using our public highways to move from field to field and to carry the grain to market. If you have traveled our rural highways recently, you have most likely encountered some of this large equipment. Many times, the equipment is as wide as the highway, and the equipment driver must move to the side of the road to allow traffic to pass.

Our farmers have no other option than to use the public roads to move their equipment from farm to farm. If you encounter this equipment on the highway, I urge you to be patient for just a few minutes. Most times, the equipment is being moved only a short distance to the next farm and will be moving off the highway very quickly.

Many motorists become very disturbed that they must wait behind a slow-moving combine or a massive tractor with large implements behind it. Many times, it seems that the driver of the combine or tractor has no consideration for the traffic that is building up behind him. But please try to understand that this equipment is so large it is almost impossible to move it to the side of the roadway except in very specific locations. Our local roadways are lined with signposts, mailboxes, and residential driveways making it almost impossible for the driver to move to the side of the road without completely stopping.

This is a large, rural county with crops planted throughout the countryside and often right into the edge of our towns. Summer is the time that farmers will be planting, cultivating, spraying, and harvesting these crops. They will be sharing the roads with you, so please be patient. They are producing the foods you enjoy eating. You can help them out when you meet them on the highway by slowing down. If possible, please move to the side of the road and allow them to pass.

Keep in mind that tobacco harvest will begin in early July and will continue until late August or early September. Tobacco harvesters, as well as trailers of green tobacco, will also be using our rural roads, so your patience would be appreciated during this time as well.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/05/09