View from the Cab: On the Go
They say time flies when you are having fun. I must be having a lot of fun this harvest season because the days sure do go by quickly.
It seems as though I have been a man on the move since we began harvesting this year’s corn crop as I am running the tractor and auger wagon. For you non-farm readers, this means I am responsible for “catching” the combine going up and down the rows so the machine can unload on the go.
This saves quite a bit of time so the combine can keep going while I stop to unload the trucks waiting patiently at the other end of the field. We made some good progress last week and had a great weather window. You couldn’t beat those clear blue skies and bright sunshine. It may have been a tad on the warm side, but we can’t complain for late September. I especially can’t complain since I work out of a climate controlled cab much of the day.
The tractors run on diesel and I run on black coffee. That thermos is always nearby in case I need a warm refill. I speak from experience when I say don’t try to pour a cup while traveling over bumps in the field at near road speed. Planting and harvest seasons seem to be the only times of the year when I drink coffee all day long. My normal cutoff is about 6 a.m. since I host an extremely early radio show each weekday.
Sounds like all of the area grain elevators were hopping with activity last week. The corn moisture is really dropping in some locations, depending on which variety growers planted. A week of warm weather and low humidity will do that to a corn plant. A few growers have even ventured out into the soybean fields for the first time. Early yields are impressive – much like most of the area corn has been so far.
Farm Safety and Health Week may be over, but let’s not forget to continue being on the lookout for large farm equipment on the roadways. Remember, being a few minutes late to your destination is better than not reaching that destination at all due to a major accident. Farmers should also take the time to slow down, take a break now and then, get plenty of sleep and eat balanced meals.
