Jada: Meet Gabriel

Hoffman Harvesting is in Goodland, Kansas and is unable to harvest because moisture is at 14%. Normally that would be acceptable; however, since the wheat is going into a dry bin, it needs to be at 13.5 % moisture or lower. As a result, we have been testing today but not harvesting. Rain showers are also in the forecast making us antsy and ready to cut. So in the meantime I have been introducing you to members of our crew. Let’s meet Gabriel today….

Gabriel is the son of Jorge Alberto and Maria Cristina. He has a sister named Maria Florencia (25). They call home a city named Rosario which has a population of 1 million people. Rosario is located on the east central side of Argentina.

Gabriel joins Hoffman Harvesting as an experienced combine operator who has had a season of harvesting in both New Zealand and America under his belt prior to joining us. He also helps his father, who is a farmer, harvest his own land each harvest season. In fact, Gabriel was one of the last members of our crew to arrive because he was helping finish his father’s harvest. Being that Argentina is the 3rd largest producer of soybeans, following America (number 1) and Brazil (number 2); Gabriel’s father raises mostly soybeans. His father also grows corn wheat and lentils.

Gabriel decided to return to America for his second harvest tour for several reasons. He knew he had a good experience the first time he was here. He likes the country, its culture, and feels that American’s are friendly. He also explained that he enjoys doing the job and is happy it isn’t your typical 9-5 job. Gabriel said, “I don’t like to work a 9-5 job. I’d rather work a lot of hours then take a month of vacation and travel to another country.” In addition to this, Gabriel likes working with state of the art machinery, which is not something everyone can do.

When asked what the difference is harvesting in the 3 places he’s been (Argentina, New Zealand, and the United States). He explained that during the New Zealand harvest you are on the go and there are no plans- people are laid back. The yields are better. In fact, they are the highest in the world- around 200 bu/ ac. However the harvest seasons are short. Harvest is similar to here in regard to the fact they start in the South and work their way North to harvest wheat. Then they head back South for what we could call fall harvest to harvest soybeans and corn.  There is as much technology used in the agricultural industry in Argentina as there is America, however it is harder to gain access to as it’s imported for America. People usually run the same machine for at least 3 to 4 years to make enough money to pay for it. The highest temp in Argentina is 125 degrees Fahrenheit which allows harvesters to be able to cut corn basically 24/7 as it’s really dry there during harvest. In addition to using elevators, they use silage bag storage for their corn which allows them to continue to work instead of working around the schedule of an elevator. The phenomenon was founded in Argentina and just made its way to America in 2007.

The thing Gabriel misses most about home is sharing moments with family and friends. However, he is accustomed to being away from home since he doesn’t have a girlfriend or kids. Gabriel’s favorite memory this harvest season thus far was our 4th of July celebration in Colby, Kan. He enjoyed relaxing and hanging out with the crew after finishing a big job. He felt it was rewarding. When Gabriel is done wrapping up this harvest season he plans to take a month vacation. He will go to a place near Sao Paulo, Brazil to sit on the tropical beach and visit his friends before heading back to his family to help with the Argentinean harvest once again.

Gabriel and Kaidence

Gabriel holding Kaidence.

Jada Bulgin can be reached at jada@allaboardharvest.com. Sponsors of the All Aboard 2010 Wheat harvest are High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.

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