Steph: Widdle away

StephThe phrase “widdle away” is one my Dad has always used. It’s not his trademark, but it is definitely in his top-5 favorite phrases. To us, it means that we are able to get work accomplished consistently day to day. It basically sums up what we are able to do during harvest so imagine how much more often it gets used this time of year than any other! Anyways, the point here is that we completed another full day of combining today here in Hobart, Okla.

The wheat has been remaining in the 15 to 25 bushel per acre range, test weights are around 58 pounds. Today was one of those days where my job changed many times throughout the day. From taking a truck into the elevator to driving our farmer’s John Deere combine to driving grain cart, it was a constant change of scenery. Driving the Deere was definitely the scenery change that threw me for the biggest loop though, that’s for sure. It has been years since I had driven a John Deere combine and even though the control differences are minor from the New Holland we operate, they are enough to make you look twice before you press any buttons. Brandon drove our New Holland all day long and Dad did the same as I did, moving from machine to machine as needed. I think we could have made some form of the game of tag out of it.

Quote of the Day: “Don’t go fallin’ in love with my little cream puff now.” – Farmer Mike told me this as I hopped into his John Deere combine for a few hours.

Harvest Tip: When combining terraces, don’t plow them before the farmer gets a chance to.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Brandon and Dad making some minor adjustments on the header.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Brandon poses by the combine.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Cambridge elevator, from a distance.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

I love red dirt. Oklahoma is purdy.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Brand spankin’ new sickle blades we put on before we made the trip south! It is a tedious and time consuming task, but well worth it in the end.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Question to all the coorespondents: Do you carry around as much baggage in the field as I do? Whenever I have to switch machines, I gotta make sure I have all of this before I can switch and feel good about it. Water jug, field survival kit (which includes a book, beef jerky, iPod and cords, sunglasses, some chap stick, etc.), and my camera bag are vital to my days in the field.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

Look how close our field was to the elevator!

So today, I re-discovered the black and white function on my camera. Below is a montage I took using said function.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

SO-Hobart, Okla.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and Syngenta. You can contact Stephanie at stephanie@allaboardharvest.com.

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