For Alameda producer Edgar Hammermeister, this years growing season has been business as usual. The area is one of a select few communities in the southeast that haven't seen severe drought.

"Talking with farmers in the area it seems like quite a tight circle around Alameda that had a bit more moisture. Towards the end of July around five inches of rain fell and recently another rainfall came through that added another inch to that total."

As many others in the industry have had to bite their lip and deal with the dry conditions, Hammermeister knows just how lucky he is.

"It wasn't very far south, west or north that rain totals dropped off to less than three inches. I know talking to those close to Estevan and further west are really suffering."

"We're really feeling quite blessed in the Alameda district."

Harvest has started for winter-wheat and work on lentils will soon begin. Along with those crops he also looks after soybeans and wheat durum.

"We were able to finish the winter-wheat and it seems to have run pretty well, it is a soft white winter-wheat for feed and ethanol purposes and its averaging 70 bushels an acre over 400 acres. Lentils will be ready to go any day now and the durum is coming on very quickly as well."

He also made a few points about what the recent rainfall will do.

"It might help fill some of the later seeded canola, but the biggest help was for anyone growing soybeans, it was ideal to help with pod-fill and continue the flowering for just a little bit longer. A significant point from the rain is taking a bit of the fire hazard away. I know it was on the back of everyone's mind with how dry it was," Hammermeister concluded.