26 May Jenna: New year, new color

Manley, Neb. – If you already took a peek at the photos below, you might be scratching your head and rubbing your eyes. Never fear – your sight is fine – that is indeed a yellow combine. After decades of running red, first Massey Ferguson and then Case IH, Zeorian Harvesting has switched colors and we’re taking a New Holland out for a spin this summer.

Saying goodbye to red was a little sad – it was like saying goodbye to an old friend. But having the new machine is exciting and we’re excited to see how it works out this summer. We (ahem, my parents) also invested in a MacDon draper header – so it’s a whole new ball game, my friends.

We’re off to a slow start this harvest season, as we lost our first couple of jobs, then even job prospects, due to the drought in the south. Until last week, we didn’t have a place to start. Things always have a way of working out though and I’m happy to report that we’ll be kicking off the summer in Arnett, Okla.

Dad and I made the first trip to Arnett earlier this week, taking the combine and header. I’ll post about that soon but I figured I better break the color-switch news first! The crew will be leaving Nebraska for good this upcoming weekend. In the mean time, we’ll be busy packing and preparing. (And attending a Taylor Swift concert. Well, not Dad. Or Mom. But us girls.)

There she is! Our new New Holland combine.

Goodbye red, hello yellow. Nice rhyme, yeah?

Taking a look around the machine.

Dad motioning for me to come look inside the “belly” of the combine.

Dad and me in the combine cab, checking out the fancy-shmancy technology.

They’ve waited all winter for the time to be right. (The grain truck and pick-up about to leave their winter home in the shed.)

The Cardinal’s in the driveway! You know what that means – time to pack.

Jenna can be reached at Zeorian@allaboardharvest.com. All Aboard 2011 is sponsored by High Plains Journal and DuPont Crop Protection.