Now, coming from the great southeast, especially in a year like 1999, this could be an answer for a lot of people; or it could be what is known in the world as "a whizzer". Depends on where you sit, I suppose whether you are looking for great words of wisdom or an abundant supply of bullfeathers to spread around the coffee shop all winter.
A lot of ground did not get seeded this spring, and some people are going to claim to crop insurance "that field is summerfallow". Crop insurance are just as likely to look at the field around the 11th of July and mutter "HA". Truth is a lot of people just could not get on the land to do anything about summerfallow, not that they didn't try or hire someone to have a try. Just look at some of those well rutted up fields and try to tell the farmer or the commercial high-clearance sprayer operator that they didn't try and see what kind of reaction you get.
The crop plan went down the crapper early and didn't get any better as the spring and early summer progressed. Personally, I don't know quite know what to do with about a tonne and a half of fertilizer mix that couldn't be placed in the ground with "something". But, I don't have a half a hopper bottom bin full of the same kind of problem. I do know of farmers who have taken out a spin spreader, and proceeded to broadcast the fertilizer on cereals to improve yield (and protein, if their timing was correct).
This may well turn out to be one of those years when you need a bag full of short cuts and tricks to successful harvesting, and be quite prepared to use any one or all of them. This includes pre-harvest Roundup or Fast Forward at the right time to hasten the maturity of both the crop and the underlying growth of "other things".
Swathing into a late fall often is beset with its own list of problems and straight cutting may not be possible if the crop refuses to mature in time before the white stuff falls. Planning for the next season can also become difficult, if you are in a well recognized 4 year rotation of cereal-oilseed-cereal-pulse. Crop residue management becomes a bit of a quandry under less than desirable harvest conditions. "Heavy" harrows certainly may not help if the straw is wet at all. As farmers in southern Alberta found out by trying to get on the land too early this spring, you could certainly produce a quite a mess.
This part of the province is not a traditional user of drying facilities for grain, but the newly constructed high throughput elevators have finally had to admit their original shortcomings and install "On the prairie-drying capabilities".
It may be a good time to arrange for provisional use of those facilities, or get to know your neighbor who has one and make some arrangements before all your other neighbors and friends get the idea first. Aeration facilities are also very valuable to have and can be jury-rigged on your own farm with a bit of determination and imagination.
Moving grain by turning over at least a load out of the bottom to back on the top of each bin is also a good practice. A lot of farmers do this as a regular practice each and every year, to keep their grain in condition. It doesn't cost much, but it can be quite effective as a management technique.
Blending wet grain with some in storage from previous years is also a hint, but be cautious and be sure to check for possible infestation each time you attempt to mix grains, to prevent even bigger potential losses from miss- handling.
Lastly, I suppose is a word of advice to "get prepared" early and try to get your crop to market as fast as possible if it is wet or in a vulnerable condition. Get the grass cut around the bins in case you have to work in the snow, and make sure to keep the banker informed of what you are doing. Bankers can be quite difficult at times to work with, but are not nearly so if they don't have you deliver surprises. They hate surprises.
Wouldn't a grain handling system with a leg to turn grain over be nice? I suppose it is not too late to dream. Good luck with the harvest.