All things considered, the 2007 wheat crop is turning out to be one of the best in the history of the McCook region.

"It's an outstanding wheat crop," said Doug Brown, the operations manager for Frenchman Valley Farmers Co-op in McCook, Culbertson and Perry. "Yields are ranging from 50 to 70 bushels per acre, and some fields are topping 85 bushels per acre."

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And -- adding to the good news -- prices are at high levels, with a cash price of $5.20 per bushel Tuesday at the Frenchman Valley elevator in McCook. That represents a significant jump over the past two years, with the July 3rd cash price in McCook standing at $3.09 per bushel in 2005 and $4.78 per bushel in 2006.

While the yields and prices have been good on an overall basis, not everyone shared in the bountiful harvest. The exceptions -- in this area -- were fields hailed, washed out and insect damaged. "That hurt some wheat, but thankfully not a lot," Brown said.

Among those reporting above average yields are Randy, Ryan and Randon Peters, who have 3,600 acres of wheat in the McCook area. "This year's wheat is tremendous. It looks like it's going to be one of the best ever," Randy said, reporting yields from 50 to above 70 bushels per acre. As of Thursday, Randy and his sons were about half done with harvesting, having cut 1,800 of their acres. "The highlight was a 200-acre field which yielded 92 bushels per acre," Randy said.

The Peters' family was not alone in achieving bumper yields. In Rawlins County, Karen Finley of McDougal-Sager Grain Co. said wheat yields ranged all the way from 30 to 80 bushels per acre, with one field coming in at 92 bushels to the acre.

Above average yields were also reported in Decatur County. Dan Grafel of D & S Grain in Traer said most summer fallow in his area was coming in at 50 to 60 bushels per acre, with good patches producing 70 bushels per acre. At Decatur County Co-op in Oberlin, the general manager, Doug Claussen reported yields of 40 to 70 bushels per acre.

Also on the plus side, test weights for wheat have been on the high side. "Weights have been averaging 61 pounds per bushel," Brown said. Similar reports came from Grafel, who reported test weights from 58 to 62 pounds per bushel, and Claussen, who said weights were "well over 60 pound per bushel." As further evidence of the wheat's quality, Peters said he had test weights as high as 65 pounds per bushel.

However, there's another side to high test weights. "When the test weights are high, the protein content is lower," said Kent Been, the University of Nebraska extension educator for Red Willow County.

Although the 2007 wheat harvest is now moving towards completion in Decatur, Rawlins and Red Willow counties, many grainmen remarked about how the cutting season didn't go as quickly as they expected. "There were a lot of foggy nights and foggy mornings," Randy Peters said. It was also cooler this year than usual. "It's not often that you go through a wheat harvest without a few 100 degree days, but going into the Fourth we haven't had any," Been said.

According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, more than 750,000 acres are planted to wheat each year in the Golden Plains counties of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. With cash prices at more than $5 per bushel, the total value of this year's crop in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas will be in excess of $125 million.