Harvest pushes northward

Guest blogger Scott Clark reports in this week as the Clark Farms Harvesting crew moves north to Tribune, Kan. This week Scott talks about muddy conditions in Kiowa, Kan., a wild problem with an engine fan, and moving to northwest Kansas.

The crew finished our jobs last Sunday, but continued finding work around Kiowa, Kan. The going was tough because of mud, but the guys knew that before we started. They were cleaning up what other harvesters had left behind because of the rain. Our combines got stuck, and had to be pulled out a few times − but the farmers were pleased with the effort. We earned a couple thousand more acres to harvest next year.

After a two day detour I went out to help the crew move the equipment back to Kiowa. My younger brother, Kendall, called and told me that a combine was making a loud noise. After investigating, the guys found that a raccoon had been tangled up in the engine fan. The animal broke the fan, and caused quite a bit of other damage. The machine was limped back to town, and I helped the crew move the rest of the machinery back to Kiowa to be cleaned and prepared for loading.

It took two days, and two power washers, to get the equipment cleaned up after harvesting in muddy conditions. I parted with my family on Friday and headed to northwest Kansas to unload my machine as it arrived. It was on the ground and ready for the field Saturday morning. The crew also took off Friday from Kiowa and headed toward Tribune, Kan. The crew arrived just before sunset, unloaded the combines, and made the five hour trip back to Kiowa. On Saturday the crew spent the day securing things around he shop in Kiowa before taking off with the last loads for Tribune.

Friday, and Saturday, were tough days to pull machinery. Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, causing all of the trucks to run hotter than normal. A rain shower came through Saturday night, so it gave the guys a chance to catch up on a little rest Sunday morning. The crew was unloaded by Sunday and headed to the field late in the evening. Over the past several weeks, the Tribune area received severe hail damage. Yields have been lower than expected, but test weights are running in the 60 pound range. Hot, and windy, conditions in the forecast should help the crew finish by mid-week.

The South Dakota harvest is expected to start around July 10. Crews will be looking for more work in northwest Kansas prior to moving north to the Pierre, S.D., area.

Cab view

A cart pulls up to load a truck.

Racoon

Wildlife strikes. It’s unfortunate, and a part of harvest nobody is fond of.

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Washing

A lot of water.

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Loaded

Cleaned up and loaded again.

For more informaiton e-mail crew@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard 2010 Wheat Harvest is sponosred by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.

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