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"The quality is some of the best I've seen in the last 10 years," stated Dennis Philpot, Michigan Agricultural Commodities grain merchandiser.

"I'm very pleased with the harvest quality. It makes dealing with it a lot easier. It's challenging when it's a lot lower quality, you can only send it to certain markets. Last year we sent some for feed wheat because it was such poor quality. Then everybody gets paid less," he said.

Philpot said wheat prices are up about $1.50 to $2 more per bushel over last year. The current price is $5.50 per bushel for red wheat and $5.80 for white.

"Test weights are great, over 60 to 63 pounds of test weight. Last year it averaged around 58, this year it is 61," he stated.

Philpot added vomitoxin was a big concern in 2006, and so far this year it has been not an issue.

"The yields are variable, lower than last year, which was exceptional," Philpot stated.

"Yields are close to what we expected. It will not be a great wheat year because we were late planting and it was slow growing," said Martin Nagelkirk, director of the Sanilac-MSU Extension Office.

Philpot noted wheat quantifies "are down about 25%. Half of it is yield, half acreage reduction. It was so wet they couldn't get it in (last fall)," he noted.

He said wheat yields are averaging 70 bushels per acre in Sanilac County.

"The northern part has received a little more rain, which probably leads to heavier yields (there)," Philpot added.

The recent weather pattern switches have radically changed harvest conditions.

"It was hot and dry which accelerated the wheat maturity and the farmers were getting at it aggressively. They moved slowly once the weather pattern and air changed. Since July 10 it has been off and on again with small rains and humid air," stated Nagelkirk.

Philpot said as of last Friday, the county's wheat harvest was only about half done, but he expects the harvest will be 80-90% complete by Tuesday.

"We've had just enough rain this year to keep it just about even across the county (instead of the western side finishing first). Even the misty showers make the straw too tough to combine," Philpot added.

Nagelkirk noted farmers are also delaying the harvest to avoid the need to dry the wheat. Sprouting can be a major concern in white wheat as well, although most Thumb area farmers grow the red wheat, which is used for pastry flour, because it is less likely to sprout.

The rain has helped the other crops.

"You can tell these areas that received rain, they are responding...(Although) in the Thumb some areas are still extremely dry," stated Nagelkirk.

"The crops are starting to perk up. Even with 3-tenths to 5-tenths of an inch you see some response, although they can use that much up in a few days in this weather...On the 17th Sandusky got almost an inch and a half. Now you're talking a real rainfall. Other areas did not get any of that," he added.

"The crop that was most adversely affected was corn. It has lost some yield potential. It is still going to be okay, but it will not be on a par with the last two years," Nagelkirk noted.

Hay really needed the moisture, too.

"It is back on track in most areas. I would rate it fair. The third cutting is coming on now and it definitely benefited from the moisture," he added.

Nagelkirk said this is the year for soybean aphids, which are on an every other year pattern. However, although farmers are finding aphids in the fields, they are not present in the levels to be concerned about.