While farmers were struggling to harvest fall crops, they also were trying to get into fields to plant wheat and bale silage to winter cattle.

In some cases, neither one has been successful.

"It has been a long drawn-out planting season for wheat," said Dana Belshe, the Extension agriculture agent based in Sherman County. "There is wheat that is still not up."

That could spell trouble for the crop because wheat that comes up in the spring generally has lower yields. This year was the notable exception, although it's relatively rare for wheat to have such a long grain-filling period.

Virtually everything is planted in Rush County, according to Richard Harmon, manager of Mid State Farmers Co-op in Rush Center.

"I'm sure there's some that isn't," Harman said of wheat that is not yet planted. "By and large, the vast majority is in."

"We've got some real good looking wheat," Belshe said of the Sherman County area, "and some that isn't even up."

* MIKE CORN, HDN