Time To Put The Combines Away

rusty6 · Oct 28, 2019

I'm thinking maybe its time to park the combines for winter looking out my window this morning. 18 degrees and another layer of snow on my last 60 acres of wheat. Its been two months since I started this harvest. Thats a long time for 600 odd acres. Theres guys that have hundreds, probably thousands left to harvest. They have made valiant efforts multiplying their fleet of combines and harvesting damp grain that will have to be dried at extra cost. Still not enough this year. I think this harvest might take the prize for worst harvest ever since 1969.

David from Kansas · Oct 28, 2019

Feel for you. We are in the midst of harvesting milo and they are predicting a chance of light snow here tonight. Hope we get in a good day before it hits. Snow, especially if it is heavy, is not good for standing milo as it usually takes it to the ground.

Richard G. · Oct 28, 2019

Drought ruined the soybeans here.
My son is thinking of just running his brush hog over them.
Richard in NW SC

rusty6 · Oct 28, 2019

It seems I'm hearing bad weather reports from all over the forums in North America. Have to wonder what quantity and quality of crop there is
going to be considering how much is left in the field, never grew, or is low quality this year.

Bruce from Can. · Oct 28, 2019

Such a shame to have to leave crop in the field.
Maybe this will make the price rise. Soybeans are
all pretty much harvested here in South Central
Ontario, crop has been lighter than normal, but
certainly worth going after. Now the transition
begins to grain corn. Corn moisture is still high ,
most was planted late. And maturity is all over the
map.

Mark-Ia · Oct 28, 2019

We can't seem to harvest soybeans here in north central Iowa. Ground too wet, pods and stems wet. Got some corn out this weekend.

55 50 Ron · Oct 28, 2019

Sad to hear that. Did you get some wheat harvested before the first snow came? I remember in the early 1950s in North Dakota (when I was in high school), there was a heavy snow and as it melted it got the grain swaths very wet and the wheat actually sprouted in the swaths before it got dry enough to combine. It finally dried enough to combine, but the quality was awful. I don't remember but I think my Dad ground a bunch of it for cattle and hog feed.

rusty6 · Oct 28, 2019

(quoted from post at 09:12:22 10/28/19) Sad to hear that. Did you get some wheat harvested before the first snow came? I remember in the early 1950s in North Dakota (when I was in high school), there was a heavy snow

Down to my last 60 acres Ron. But its my best field. 1969 is the year that stands in my memory. My dad must have nearly froze sitting out on the open 542 Cockshutt harvesting tough wheat in the early morning hours of Nov. 11. Next spring he hired a neighbour with a dryer to come in and dry the wheat with a small batch dryer. As did many others in the area.
Looking on the positive side though, now the ground is frozen maybe I can go and cut those few acres of oats to bale for cattle feed. It was too muddy a few days ago. I can't turn the cattle in the field until the neighbour hauls out the bales he made there.

paul · Oct 28, 2019

We had a rough one in the early 90s down here in southern MN.

The past 4 years have been tough, this year is the worst. Crop won?t dry, dirt is wet, lots of wind blowing the corn down. December temperatures now.

We don?t have the white stuff. Yet.

Paul

jddrawbar · Oct 28, 2019

Sad news, but a beautiful photo.

moresmoke · Oct 28, 2019

A lot of wheat in ND this year that started to sprout on the plant. Not even swathed. Poor quality feed at best. Most has been left to try and spend time on the better crops.

Chris in SK · Oct 28, 2019

I got done on Friday night, but drove grain cart all weekend for a friend. We did standing and swathed Canola and some standing wheat. Moisture wasn't changing much even with that snow coming down, and it wasn't going through the combines to bad considering. Canola around 10 and wheat around 17. Putting some in bags and some in bins.

730virgil · Oct 28, 2019

it will be a long time before combine will be put away here (IL Wis) state line I don't know of many people done with harvest.
it has been a tough harvest so far now weather guesser is saying we could have 2 to 4 inches snow the next couple of days.

Jim in Sask · Oct 28, 2019

I think you're right, Rusty - it'll be a spring harvest for what is left. I have a quarter of swathed durum out yet. It's been quite a year - highest yields I've ever grown but all the durum at least is #4 or #5. I hope the HRS wheat will hold up better, it's not pretty but looks better than the durum.

There's still quite a bit of canola out, mostly stuff that had second growth as a result of the dry spring. It came up patchy and when it did finally start to rain the rest came up - two crops in one. Also see some canaryseed out.

It was slow going with all the straw and trying to keep the grain away from the combine. My wife thinks we should have a bigger combine - guess I should go looking before she changes her mind!

Maybe we can get the rest of it in the spring. Years back my dad had crop out over winter occasionally when we farmed back home and except for 1973 we were able to salvage it. Fingers crossed.

rusty6 · Oct 28, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:54:26 10/28/19)
I think you're right, Rusty - it'll be a spring harvest for what is left.My wife thinks we should have a bigger combine - guess I should go looking before she changes her mind!

A bigger combine would not have helped me in the wheat. I had to go so slow as I was scraping the ground with the 22 foot header picking up mole hills. A wider header would have been even worse. Maybe if I'd double swathed it into 42 feet I'd have been further ahead.
I think I have mentioned before how my dad and uncle left wheat swaths out over the winter of 51-52 and combined them in April. Dry as could be and only lost a little bushel weight.
We have had more snow since this morning's photo.

caterpillar guy · Oct 29, 2019

We've only got about 80 acres of beans cut. The rest are in the field. 2 inches of rain Sunday night so now mudding everything out or freezing is what is next. Beans were about 15-17 before the rain lots of green ones yet too. Corn is probably good if we could get in the field. Corn is on tiled ground. Beans are too and still to wet.
I need somebody to drive truck and cart. Doing it alone is to slow for this year. Been doing it that way for the last 6-8 years. The acres keep increasing too.

Lazy WP · Oct 29, 2019

All of the elevators in Salina are full! If it wasn?t contracted you can?t dump! More beans, corn and milo in this area then most have ever seen.

chcase · Oct 29, 2019

Sorry to hear of your troubles,I am lucky
as I hired a friend and got my beans
done.Looked out this morning to see a few
inches of snow.Very few people have corn
off yet.Those that had to start combining
corn are finding high moisture test.Most
are hoping for cold to help with that.Just
not a normal year at all. The moisture in
my beans were at 16% as they were planted
late.Still very wet here in central
wisconsin

coshoo · Oct 29, 2019

As far as getting some help, drop by your local senior center and ask around a bit, and put an ad on the bulletin board. Lots of retired seniors are still in good enough shape to drive a truck or cart, and are BORED. I'd help, if I were in your area.

the tractor vet · Oct 29, 2019

Ah yep a sign of things to come . I do believe that today will be one of the last nice days for awhile and NOPE i am not even close to being ready for winter with loosen 2 and 1/2 months this year due to health issues and still not running on all six yet sure won't make it to running on all 8 .

Time To Put The Combines Away

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