Alberta farmers race to harvest crops before killing frost

With the forecast calling for rain and snow by the end of the week, farmers in southern Alberta are working long hours to finish harvesting before the snow flies.

Harry Brook, a crop specialist with the province, says everyone from the southern to the northern regions is running behind this year.

"If you can get your crop down to 20 per cent moisture in the seed, then you are basically safe from any quality losses due to a killing frost," he said.

"And that's kind of the race right now. There's a lot of standing crop out therethat's probably in that 30 per cent moisture range."

Rain and possible flurries are expected as early as Thursday in the southern part of the province.

Bob Izyk, a third generation farmer who lives near High River, has more than 5,000 acres (2,020 hectares) with his brother. Heis hoping for a few more days of sunshine before it snows.

"We got a little bit of barley left, 1,200 acres of wheat, and we're trying to get most of the wheat off before the bad weather because it will lose gradeif we don't get it in the bin. And grade is money."

Brook says there's still time for the situation to improve.

"We haven't got a killing frost yet so, and a lot of people, too, you know, they say October is our main harvest month, so we're hoping just for the weather to smarten up," he said.

Izyk says the only thing he can do is keep pushing.

"We can get a lot done, but I don't think we're going to finish the wheat," he said.