View from the Cab: Harvest Looms

Harvest is looming. Can you feel it?

When venturing outdoors, the smell of ripe corn fills the country air, husks are turning brown and soybean leaves are starting to turn yellow. This year is a little different than most as the grass is completely green and the rain showers haven’t let up as of late. It could be a little soggy once we venture out into those corn and soybean fields to bring in the crop.

Much like a big Hollywood production, a lot of “behind-the-scenes” work goes into harvest well before the season even starts. We have spent the past few weeks cleaning up equipment and fine-tuning things before heading to the field in a week or two. The bolts are tightened, the windows are cleaned and the corn head is hooked up in anticipation of a large crop.

It appears most other farmers have been doing the same lately as I have seen several combines parked outside near tool sheds. Some guys and gals have even attached the auger wagon to the tractor and hooked up the grain wagons to prepare for the fall season which could start any day now.

I am predicting some impressive corn yields once the combines start traveling through the fields of Central Illinois. If the results of the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour are any indication, we will need some large storage capacity this fall in our part of the state. Let’s hope the large yield predictions are accurate since we will need those yields to make up for the drop in commodity prices.

Fall is unofficially here now that the Labor Day weekend is behind us. I hope you had a good time cooking out or getting together with friends and family. We had a blast taking part in the Threshermen’s Reunion parade through downtown Pontiac. Driving a 1968 John Deere 4020 is much like riding a bicycle as you remember how to do it the moment you get on the tractor, even though the shifting is much different than today’s tractors.

(The View from the Cab blog from Kent Casson is powered each week by Petersen Chevrolet-Buick along Route 24 in Fairbury, "Driving the Dream.")