According to the latest Alberta harvest report By 2024, 99.9 percent of crops in the southern region will have been harvested.

The only thing left to come out of the ground are bags of canola, flax and sugar beets.

Despite the pessimism ahead of the growing season, farmers were pleasantly surprised with the amount of rain they received.

“This spring they rationed our irrigation water, so it was very worrying for us,” said Gary Stanford, who farms outside Magrath.

“Then when it rained a lot, (which helped) relieve the pressure on the irrigation system.”

While rainfed crops suffered from the heat of July and August, yields of major crops in the southern region increased by 12.4 percent compared to the five-year average.

“The July heat damaged some crops, especially canola,” Stanford said. “So dry land would be a little bit below average, but in this area overall I would say we’re happy with the yields we’ve received this year.”

As this harvest season comes to a close, attention turns to next year.

Farmers hope a cold, snowy winter will help refill reservoirs.

With a La Niña winter on the way, a wet winter is more likely.

“That gives us a little bit more of something to hold on to when it comes to our seasonal forecasts,” said Alysa Pederson, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada.

The Farmer’s Almanac also predicts a cold, snowy winter.

It’s giving some growers hope for the upcoming growing season.

“We were all pleasantly surprised when the Farmers’ Almanac said it was going to be colder and snowier. And that’s actually very good for farmers. It helps get rid of some of the bugs in the soil. And also helps us, get a little more moisture,” Stanford said.

Oldman Reservoir is currently 60 percent full, just below the normal range for this time of year.

St. Mary and Waterton reservoirs are within their normal ranges.