View from the Cab: Harvesting memories
After a long wait, the flurry of harvest activity is underway around here.
The pre-harvest jitters are a thing of the past as we started our 2019 season by combining corn and just last week, we started soybeans. All of the equipment seems to be running well and the season is going smoothly so far. By the way, I am knocking on wood as I say all of this.
Just like many agronomists and industry experts told us during the summer, yields and moisture levels are all over the place this season. The yield monitor can go from one extreme to the other just by traveling up and down the field for one round in the combine. It sounds like soybeans around Central Illinois are hanging in there with pretty consistent yields but corn is a different story as rains were very spotty once planting was done and they came too late in the summer to help the crop along.
It just wouldn’t be my birthday without a celebration out in the field and that’s what we did last Tuesday thanks to the efforts of my lovely bride and family. Rebecca brought supper to the field and the kids enjoyed singing to me along the roadside ditch. Our truck driver Roger even chimed in on the birthday song. I blew out my candles over a delicious pan of pumpkin bars – a fall favorite at our house. My son Kasen and I can eat them morning, noon and night.
The family then got in the combine cab as we harvested corn and the two older kids got a lesson in driving. Baby girl Kaislee has a few years before taking over the steering wheel but she sure does like to see the equipment out in the field as she often gives a big wave to any tractor, combine or truck that’s moving.
I am used to working on my birthday as the day has fallen during harvest for as long as I can remember. In fact, it feels funny if we aren’t harvesting on October 8. I recall being rained out last year when the day happened to fall on Columbus Day so we enjoyed time at home.
We will be hitting it hard day and night here in October until all of the crops are in. Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates and lets us get harvest completed in a timely manner. Be safe everyone and happy harvesting!
(The View from the Cab is powered each week by Petersen Motors of Fairbury)
