Kansas wheat harvest continues to advance despite challenges from drought, freeze damage and market volatility. Producers report generally below-average yields and acceptable quality, with residue management and untimely weather playing key roles in this year’s crop.

Lane Klepper, a producer from Barton County, reported that his family started harvest on June 5, and is three days away from finishing. Some of the challenges that he has seen this year include freeze damage, drought and price fluctuations in the markets.

“Obviously prices have not been where you want them to be,” said Klepper. “They kind of rallied there for a while, but now, things have kind of fallen back off.”

Klepper credited steady yields in such a dry year to residue left in fields conserving moisture and varieties able to withstand drought stress. Some of the varieties that Klepper Farms has had success with this year are Plains Gold Canvas and Westbred 4422.

“That residue is worth a ton out there,” said Klepper. “You can just see the difference in the second year versus the first year wheat, having that residue to plant into is so important.”

Eric Sperber, CEO of Cornerstone Ag in Thomas County, reported taking their first load on June 11, with operations being slow moving due to scattered thunderstorms across the area late in the season.

“In our area, I think there’s wheat dry enough to be harvested, but we have a lot of producers trying to plant fall crops,” said Sperber. “We also have farmers who got behind on spraying and are trying to catch up.”

Even though it is still early in the harvest season for Thomas County, test weights have ranged from 55 to 61, with protein above average, Sperber stated.

Sperber estimates harvest to conclude at the beginning of July, depending on current weather patterns and producers getting aforementioned spraying and planting completed.

“Harvest may go a little quicker this year than in the past,” said Sperber. “A lot of years, we have waited for the wheat to dry down, whereas this year it may be ready to go; it’s just a matter of producers being able to get to it, then it can go pretty quick.”

The 2026 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 X, use #wheatharvest26. Tag us at @kansaswheat on Facebook, Instagram and X to share your harvest story and photos.

###

Written by Shelby Priddle, assistant director of communications, Kansas Wheat