Janel: I LOVE the Kansas wheat harvest

Pratt, Kansas – I love the Kansas wheat harvest and for so many reasons! Wheat harvest in Kansas feels like sweet summertime to me. I have so many harvesting memories in the Wheat State. Kansas is one of my favorite places to be and to harvest wheat. Honestly, the White House should be in western Kansas. Everyone here just loves President Donald Trump, or at least that’s all I hear. It’s so peaceful and beautiful out here. All of the people I know from Kansas are just genuinely friendly and really good people, and some are my favorites in the world. Yes, western Kansas is the place to be especially at wheat harvest time. Everywhere you look, it’s all golden. 

We’ve been harvesting full blast the past few days here in the Pratt, Kansas area, and it feels good. The wheat has been yielding well. The ground conditions have been dry and the humidity during the day has been under 50 percent, which means the wheat is drying and the cutting conditions are on point. We have been on the edge of a couple of storms lately, but we haven’t had much rain. So luckily, we just keep cutting wheat.  We are happy to have wheat-cutting weather and farmers keeping us busy harvesting their wheat crop. We have eight combines here cutting wheat. Two combines will be going to the Dodge City, Kansas area today, because the farmer there has been calling for three days, saying his wheat is ready to be harvested. We are always for hire and constantly looking for extra work, but we certainly do appreciate all of our customers and the work we have lined up year after year. 

We see a lot of deer in Kansas at harvest time too. I see a lot of fawns in the fields, and sometimes they jump out of the wheat right in front of my combine header. I always slow down and give them time to get away. I’m so glad too when they run far away or into another field, so I don’t have to worry about them being in my way again. It’s sad if they try to hide close to the ground (in the standing wheat where I can’t see them) and then get their back legs cut off from jumping as soon as the combine header is passing right over them. I haven’t had that happen in years thank goodness.  It’s too hard on my heart to see that happen.  

It was 100 degrees on Saturday and is exactly what we needed to bring on the wheat crop, getting harvest in full swing here. The wheat I’ve been cutting has been yielding 35 to 50 bushels an acre with 60-plus pound test weights. I have had lifetime custom cutter friends report that they’ve cut 70 bushel wheat as well as quarters of wheat that made 101 and 103 bushels an acre. It can be done, and Kansas is a state that can produce high yields in any crop. That’s what keeps the world fed. It’s a special time of year for us harvesters.

We put our all into harvesting and doing a good job for the farmers. Wheat is used to make bread, pasta, cereal, doughnuts, pretzels, tortillas, and a whole bunch of other goodies we all like to eat. We harvest the grain that feeds the world. Thank a harvester!  

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

A cupcake is so delicious when you’re hungry in the field. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas.  A storm was approaching, and here you can see the dirt in the air from the high winds.  (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Beautiful scenery from the combine near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

My view while fueling up the combine near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

A harvest sunset near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Beautiful scenery from the combine near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. The combine operators are LaVern and myself. (Photo by Carlene Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. The combine operators are LaVern and myself. (Photo by Carlene Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. The combine operators are LaVern and myself. (Photo by Carlene Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

I was washing my combine at night near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Carlene Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Moving north from Oklahoma to Pratt, Kansas. This is me going around the corner on Highway 281 near Medicine Lodge, Kansas. (Photo by Carlene Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Moo and I cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. Maggie Moo is the sweetest shotgun rider. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Our cook brought out hamburgers for lunch, and they are so good when you’re so hungry. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)

 

Schemper 2017 - Kansas Wheat Harvest

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas. (Photo by Janel Schemper)


All Aboard Wheat Harvest™ is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere. Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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