It's that time of year, time when we spend the last warm days outside bringing in God's bounty. Before we can get started, preparation is key. Check over the combine, grain cart, tractor, and semi to make sure everything is greased, oiled, fueled, and in running order. A few trips to get parts to replace broken pieces and we are ready to go. Meanwhile Evan was busy at work in the driveway doing some farming of his own.
Before you start harvesting a farmer always wonders how well the harvest will be. Every year provides it's own set of challenges. This year was a wet one until late summer, which made it hard to control weeds and low spots in fields had lots of water sitting. How would that effect yields?
Monday we kicked off harvest by cutting soybeans. We started at the Carter farm, which had a major weed problem. Most years it would not be in contender for top yielding ground since the soil is not our best. This year, though, with more rolling ground it allowed water to drain better. We were surprised to see it averaged 65 bushels per acre. I believe county average is 45 bushels per acre. The ample rain provide enough moisture for both the weeds and beans.
The 80 acres was next. It had less of a weed problem and better dirt, but it was mostly flat. The end result was 56 bushels per acre. Still very good. We tried switching to another field, but the beans were just not ready yet. In only words Evan can understand, "Dad, these beans are still tough. Time to switch back to corn."
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While harvesting you always have those moments when things do not go smoothly. Foreign matter is always hard on equipment. Something broke a few sickle guards, could have been a rock or junk in the fields, but we had to stop to replace them.
Meanwhile Evan enjoyed some time to play in the neighbors previously harvested corn field. A cornstalk always makes a good toy.
Help prevent field fires. Blow off your combine often. Less dust and debris means less matter to get hot and start a fire. Derick already had two fire calls for combines/fields on fire.
The past two days we have been working on picking corn which means Evan gets some quality time in the grain cart with Mom. It is so nice that tractors have "buddy seats" these days. I remember riding the Case with Dad as a kid and trying to find a place to sit. There was never enough room.
The car seat was a needed addition after Evan fell asleep the first time. A lap belt and seat with no sides makes it impossible to keep a baby in place. The car seat takes up a lot of room and makes it difficult to get in and out, but a necessity.
Evan enjoys driving right along with Mom with his own steering wheel. Toys and snacks come in handy while we are waiting for Dad to fill the combine, but when the combine is in our sights or we're moving, all toys end up on the floor.
