Sunday, August 29, 2010

Whew! 2010 Wheat Harvest Done

Joe's combine cutting wheat

We finished our wheat harvest on the Genesee farm around 6:00pm Thursday, August 26th amidst a crazy summer wind storm.  The overall yield was  slightly above average  for the Genesee farm, but it was not the "bumper crop" many  had expected (including us).  The early indicators of having an abundant harvest were due to having the  near perfect weather conditions such as lots of rain and cool temps in May and June which typically produce record wheat crops.  But we are still happy to have a little above average yields and even happier that they are now safely in the grain bins.  We now have a small field of lentils to harvest and many acres of garbanzo beans to harvest as soon as they are ripe, which should be in the next week. 


As many farmers, including us have many different field locations, it takes a little bit of organization to get all the equipment moved from one field to another.  To give you an idea of what moving looks like, I took this picture of a neighbor moving his equipment along the road we live on.  The header on the combine needs to be removed as it is too wide for roads or highways, so it will be pulled by a pick-up on its special trailer.


Pick-up pulling the combine header on a special trailer



Farm equipment moving along our county road

Like many farm families, we enjoy hitching a ride or two on the combines and tractors and the day before we finished, our oldest daughter, Jen brought the grand-angels out for another ride.


Brinley and I getting ready to take a ride with Poppa

Brinley is our 4 yoa grand-angel, although she likes getting rides in the equipment, she is more into picking wheat for a bouquet for Mom.  She is our girly girl, just like her momma and Aunt Kaitlyn.  On my side of the family we are used to all girls and they are all "girly girls" who like dressing up, shoes and all the glamor that goes along with that. 
Brinley in the wheat posing for Grandma


Natalie awaiting a ride with her Poppa in the combine
This is Natalie, our almost 2 yoa grand-angel. This is one who grabbed her Mom's phone when she saw Poppa in the field and shouted... "Poppa..... "bine" (combine) .... ride.... NOW!"  I think it was her first 4 word sentence.  From all early indications, I think this is the child who will be wanting to hang out with Poppa in the field as soon as she can.  She loves her John Deere boots, trucks and combines.  Today at our house she ended up taking home one of Poppa's farm magazines  because she liked the pink truck that was in the magazine.