Our co-host David Woodruff has Brandon Roland from Hemingford, Nebraska on today's interview, let's listen in.

"I got my degree in Agriculture Communication and mainly I did it that way. I would sit there with my advisor. And they go, well, what do you want to learn about it? I go, well, I got a lot about soils this month there. Like, can we just change it up? Like, let's do some business. Let's do some cattle. But I thought that was the whole point of college. I wanted to have a wide range. So, psychology courses, psychology courses, and communication courses. And the whole thing that everybody argued with was, well, communication said, well, it's how it's communicated to you. Sociology said, well, it's how society communicated to you. And psychology always said, well, it's what your brain is meant to be. And I would just laugh like taking the different courses. Like the older I got in college where I'm like, we're all arguing about the same thing. It's just the information of, well, why are you taking the information in? And I get that's the one thing I'm glad I took all those classes. But one thing I always realized with college, it's all right, well, we can backtrack and figure out what's true information, what's BS information, what's proven."

That was Brandon Roland from Hemingford, Nebraska with our co-host David Woodruff.

Our co-host David Woodruff has Brandon Roland from Hemingford, Nebraska on today's interview. Let's listen in.

So what's going on down there?

"We're dry Dave. We are bone dry. We missed all the fires. The Morill fire, we've been on the outside of it. But we got a little bit of a shower yesterday, and I don't think there was three, four drops out of it. Last week, Dave, we got a tenth of an inch on there. And I think by the time it came on the ground, it was done afterwards. We just desperately need rain. And when I've been talking to the other guys up North, down South, we're all kind of in the same boat. We don't get moisture. I don't know what we're going to do, especially right now. Dry land farming. We desperately need moisture."

So is there much irrigation in your area?

"There's a lot of irrigation, but the price of everything, guys are worried. You can't afford to put it in. And then the price of the fuel or electricity costs. Yeah, you're going to be spending a lot of money there. During the winter as well, Dave, I'm a potato inspector, potato certification of Nebraska. And we've graded out a lot of potatoes, but there's not a market for them anymore."

That was Brandon Roland from Hemingford, Nebraska with our co-host, David Woodruff.

Several national publications have been writing recently about bees and the importance that they play in the harvest. And now National Geographic is suggesting that bees might be geniuses. Their cover story, Secrets of the Bees. A hidden genius of one of nature's most essential creatures. National Geographic reveals the remarkable minds of the world's most important pollinators. Emerging research shows that bees can solve complex problems, associate color with rewards, and navigate ever-changing landscapes. That breadth of intelligence is rare in the animal kingdom, and it may be a key to their survival. One of our favorite beekeeping facilities and honey production labs is Kiowa Honey Company, located in California and Nebraska. For more about this story and the essential benefits of this delicious, nutritious treat, visit Kiowa Honey Company. You can find that link on our Facebook page on the Harvest USA Report.

Water is a very important resource, and many times farmers get blamed for high usage.

Did you know that Utah gets about 61 million acre feet of precipitation every year? "Over 92% of that goes right back into the natural systems, trees, rangelands, wetlands, and evaporation. Human use, all of it, is just a tiny sliver. Farmers steward most of the diverted water, sure, but their net consumptive use after return flows is only about 2.5 to 3.3% of the state's total water. They're not draining Utah dry, they're feeding families, supporting rural economies, and keeping productive land working."

That was written by Phil Lyman and can be found on our Harvest USA Report Facebook page.

The death tax has been eliminated thanks to President Trump, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and for farm families, this changes everything. POTUS, working families tax cuts, now allow farms to pass up to $15 million per person with $30 million per couple completely tax-free. That means fewer farm families will be forced to sell land or equipment just to cover estate taxes. For multi-generational farms, this delivers real relief and keeps the family legacy alive on the land they love. Unbelievable. The death tax finally eliminated.

Certainly good news, but the condition of crops in Kansas is not, the wheat is looking 68% fair to very poor, and only 2% excellent right now. As of April 13th, according to the NASS. And in Texas, reports of disease have increased this year and growers from Hutchinson, Oldham, Carson, Deafsmith, Randall, Castro, Swisher, Lamb, Hale, Lubbock, Tom Green, and Hill counties have submitted samples to the Texas High Plains Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. These samples have shown infections including wheat streak, mosaic virus, triticum mosaic, high plains disease, barley, yellow dwarf, and more. That's the Texas Wheat Post.

You can find it on the Harvest USA Report Facebook page. Be sure to follow us there, where you'll find all these reports and more, harvestsusareport.com. We're also on podcast networks everywhere. To find those networks and our stations, you can visit our website at harvestsusareport.com on the air for over 30 years.

Harvest crews are shaping up for the 2026 season. Last fall when the harvest wrapped up, Van Driesten Hharvesting said goodbye to two crew members. They were really hoping would return next season. After a few seasons there, they'd become part of the family. As they inch closer to this year's run, Van Driesten was in what they call reset mode. It seems like every four years or so, they say, "we end up with almost an entirely new crew". It's exciting. Fresh faces, new stories, new energy, but can also feel a little overwhelming. These two guys were the kind Mike could count on for anything. They could load, harvest, and handle just about every job right alongside him. Seasons come and go and people move forward, often new careers, new adventures, and new chapters. We just hope that what they learned here stays with them and that the memories they made on the road, in the fields, and with our crews are the ones they'll carry with them for years to come, from Van Dristen harvesting. Getting those crews put together is a little challenging. A new federal rule limiting certain commercial driver's licenses could reduce available trucking capacity, raising concerns about freight movement during key agricultural seasons.

According to RFD-TV, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration finalised changes that restrict eligibility for non-domiciled CDLs, potentially removing thousands of drivers from the system.

And as we keep tabs on the Honey Harvest for the year, here's a message from Kiowa Honey, "2026 has been a stellar year, and thank you to everyone for following our Kiowa Honey Company updates!"

• Interview Overview: The conversation mainly revolves around the agricultural state in Great Bend, Kansas, notably addressing concerns about weather conditions affecting farming activities. Zeb Hughes discusses his locality, citing the dry conditions and absence of moisture that have negatively impacted wheat crops, with some fields suffering freeze damage.

• Wheat and Moisture Issues: The interview highlights the struggles with insufficient rainfall, which threaten wheat production in the area. Some growers have already begun repurposing lands toward fall crops due to the damage.

• Alternative Crops: The discussion extends to the types of fall crops being planted, such as milo (sorghum), dryland corn, irrigated corn, and beans. The schedule for planting these crops is contingent on moisture availability, with the anticipation of planting soon.

Let's take a look at where our harvest crews are and what's going on in preparation for this 2026 season.

BT Harvesting writes that their next five crew members have officially arrived. For them, the next few days will be filled with paperwork, introductions, getting settled in the campers, and finding their way around the shop. There'll be a big learning curve, but there's no doubt they'll take it all in stride. Good or bad, harvest will be here before we know it.

The Nebraska Farm Bureau Foundation is hiring an education specialist to bring hands-on agriculture lessons to students across western Nebraska. This role connects youth to farming, ranching, and food in a fun and interactive way. You must reside within western Nebraska because frequent daytime travel is required.

This week's Oklahoma wheat crop update shows the crop is under real stress. Statewide 54% of Oklahoma wheat is rated poor to very poor while 12% is rated good to excellent. Drought remains widespread across 98% of all the state with the toughest conditions in southern and western Oklahoma and the panhandle. But there is still a fight left in this crop. Many acres still have potential if we can get timely moisture. OSU Extension specialists are urging producers to keep scouting because not every yellow field is just drought. Afids, mites, and wheat viruses are also showing up. So now is the time to check stressed areas, field edges, and stay in touch with your county extension office. Keep scouting, keep the faith, and keep praying for rain.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/RrGbNBqXVLo.

Times are tough out there, and suicide rates among farmers are higher than the national average. But now new research shows that online therapy can help with farmers mental health. Please see our post from successful farming on our Harvest USA Facebook page.