Harvest - Day 1

It is that time of year again (finally)….HARVEST!

Yesterday we put the water tank on the back of my pickup in case of fires,

did a few odds and ends, and moved equipment to the field. Put the header on the combine, set the fan, concave spacing and rotor speed and calibrated the yield monitor.

With the engine going full throttle I gently place the header into the wheat to start harvest. Wheat bunches up on the platform because the rust and grime isn’t worn off yet and cut up the hill to where we will park the equipment for this field.

I cut my circle, the bankout wagon is placed, and the disc is put into the ground to provide black dirt to park equipment on to reduce the threat of fire. I move the combine around to a straw free spot after dumping a full bulk tank load into the wagon.

Chris climbs into the wagon with a can for a sample and we head to town to get a moisture reading. At the elevator the moisture tests 10.5 and we are good to go for harvest (moisture needs to be 12 or less). We head back home to get the semi, service rig, and lunch boxes.

When I get to the field it starts to sprinkle. I climb into the cab, set up my cell booster and climb back out to put tarps on the truck, trailer, and wagon. It quits raining. I stand there with my brother and hired man looking at the root structure of the wheat that was worked up (basically killing time) and contemplate cutting or not. I get back on the combine (this is around 1:30) and it cuts beautifully.

The boys come out to the field (they were at a basketball clinic) and run wagon, Rhonda takes pictures, and our hired man drives the truck to the elevator. I am dumping into the wagon while watching a rabbit run at everyone because his home is now headed to the elevator. Yields aren’t bad, but I haven’t been able to calibrate the monitor with a weight.

Both Rhonda and Logan ride with me on the combine and Dillon leaves for football practice. We see a couple of deer and fill up the truck, trailer and wagons for tomorrow. We head for home after walking around the combine around 8 pm. The one paycheck that a farmer receives for his hard work, the investment, and worrying that has to last 365 days is finally here.