Why This Year’s Delayed Wheat Harvest Matters, Even If You Don’t Grow Wheat

Janelle Zabel - Fourth generation family farmer and rancher in Western Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, farming families are navigating a tough wheat harvest season.

Heavy rains in late May and early June soaked the fields, leaving combines idle and harvests stalled. We managed to start cutting on June 10, but by the next day, the moisture levels were too high to continue. With more rain in the forecast, it’s a reminder that the weather still writes the rules.

A late wheat harvest affects everyone, even if you don’t grow wheat.

Wheat doesn’t wait. Once ripe, delays can mean:

• Moisture damage and mold risk

• Lower protein and test weight

• Weeds and sprouting that reduce market value

For farmers, this is a costly inconvenience. It affects contracts, fuel use, planting schedules, grazing rotations, and more.

When I was a kid, my brother once buried a combine axle-deep in the mud. It took tractors from every direction and neighbors we couldn’t even see from our front porch to get it out. That day left more than ruts, it left me with a deep respect for how rural communities solve problems together.

We don’t feel helpless when something can be fixed. We just get to work. The only thing we can’t fix is the weather.

And, speaking of weather, Oklahoma is mourning the loss of Gary England this week. He wasn’t just a meteorologist. For many of us, especially farmers, Gary was the news. He pioneered severe weather tracking and saved countless lives through calm, clear leadership in the face of tornadoes. His legacy shaped how rural families like ours prepare for what the skies bring. We are deeply grateful.

This harvest delay impacts more than wheat:

• Many wheat producers also raise cattle. A loss in grain income affects how livestock is managed.

• Wet fields slow hay cutting and pasture care.

• Rising grain prices can ripple through the feed and meat supply chain.

This is why local food systems matter. When you know your rancher, you know what’s happening in the field, not just at the checkout line.

At Zabel Cattle Company, we raise pasture-based beef with transparency and care. We believe in connecting people to their food and to the land it grows on.

You don’t have to be a farmer to be rooted in agriculture. You just have to care where your food comes from.

Let’s keep the conversation going. How are delays or weather shifts affecting your part of the food system?

Learn more about our beef and our mission: www.zabel.co/contact