Jada: Hoffman Harvesting commences Olney harvest

Jada_thumbnailOlney, TX- On Saturday, we were able to commence our Olney, TX harvest in the late afternoon. Before getting in the field for the first time, there is more preparation required than unloading and hooking up the headers. Several trucks usually need to be fueled up. Our new machines need numbers before they get dirty. The numbers are cut from heavy duty vinyl on our Cricut machine and help us identify combines. They also display important phone numbers for any potential customers. Business radios need to be put in so we can readily communicate among each other. Even little tasks such as taking stickers off the windows and plastic off the seats of our new combines need to be done. Most importantly, we re-calibrate our machines to make sure they are set properly.

Getting the combines calibrated and set up properly to start harvesting

A picture of our screens we use to calibrate our machines and set them up properly.

Oak and I work on getting the numbers on and stickers off to be able to commence harvest

Oak and I get the right stickers on and the other’s that need to be off removed.

Once we were able to get in the field and test the wheat, we were unable to cut. The moisture was at 14%. A little too wet to go in the bins we dump in. We took a couple hours break to make a parts run to Munday, TX. Upon our return we took a sample to the elevator. The wheat was at 10.8 percent moisture- plenty dry to get in the field. Due to triple digit weather that got up to a high of 109 degrees, we were able to cut well past sunset.

Moving our machines from the Campbell homefront to our first field

Moving the combines from Campbell headquarters to the first field.

Leon hooks up a header

Leon gets the header hooked up on one of our combines.

I am not going to deny it, the wheat definitely has been better here. It was subjected to a late frost in March and drought. While there are fewer harvesters here than normal, several of the regulars are here. However, most harvesters here- including us- have brought down fewer machines than normal. We brought only three of our machines.

Kaidence looks on as the elevator employee prepares a sample for the moisture test

An elevator employee prepares to take a moisture test while Kaidence looks on.

moiture is low enough to go

After a short wait to let the wheat dry, the moisture test is 10.8. Time to cut!
The drought is getting serious in this area. Olney receives their water from a lake that is at 38%. The pool will not be filled this summer and people are banned from using water on their lawns. We even heard restaurants are not serving water unless it is requested. Signs in the area say, “Pray for rain.”  Everyone is hoping harvest will bring rain as it usually does. Today, there was hope- a 30% chance of rain. It looked as if it would rain but it never did. So, we will continue to do what we can. Pray for rain.

One of the Campbells bins we plan to dump in

A picture of one of the bins we will dump in.

All Aboard Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and Syngenta. Jada can be reached at jada@allaboardharvest.com

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