View from the Cab: Harvest weariness
The weariness of harvest must be setting in.
I started a pot of coffee without pouring the water into it one morning last week. That was my sign that we have crossed the hump and are down to the home stretch for the fall season. We have quite a few soybeans to take out of the field yet, but at least the corn harvest is complete.
Did you ever have one of those weeks where nothing seems to go right on the job? I experienced that in late September. I knew it was going to be an interesting week when I was locked out of the combine first thing on a Monday morning then broke a chain on the machine within about two hours. There were even a few issues with the semi the same day. Let’s just say it is a big relief to have all the corn in.
Hopefully the rest of the soybean harvest goes smoothly and we can get everything wrapped-up by Oct. 19 which is my wife’s due date for our third child. We all know weather is a limiting factor for cutting soybeans this time of the year as temperatures can drop which slows the drying time considerably. Sunlight is also starting to diminish as we roll through the fall so we must keep plugging along.
Last Tuesday was one of those strange days where you can’t do much in the bean field as a fine mist fell on the area mid-morning. There were some guys out in the field an hour before this but that small weather system pretty much took care of cutting beans for the day. A few growers were able to get back out into the field but not until about 4 in the afternoon after the sun was out for a couple of hours.
This is that point in the season where some farmers have completed their entire harvest while others have a ways to go. I must admit I get a little jealous seeing those Facebook posts about finishing up and hauling in the final load of the fall. Those who have finished are likely experiencing a feeling of relief since there are several wet days in the forecast with rain delays likely.
With only a few weeks left in the local high school football season, make sure you see us at an area game on Friday nights as we are giving away small CIFN Sports Central footballs. Thanks to the local cheerleaders and FFA members for helping to toss out the freebies to the crowd. You can also catch game coverage and interviews on the Central Illinois Farm Network Facebook page.
(The View from the Cab blog is powered each week by Petersen Motors of Fairbury)
