Jada: A crop update and recipe to share

Jada_thumbnailHoffman Harvesting is currently cutting both south and north of Kiowa, KS and the wheat is yielding around 30- 50 bu/ac. This yield is a surprise to some farmers in this area who received late frosts. The crop also didn’t come up until around February making cutting conditions spotty- green heads mixed in with the dry wheat.

I dont know why but I like this photo

I am not sure why, but I think this photo is neat!

As a result, the wheat is just barely dry enough- in fact we had some close calls at the elevator with a couple of loads coming back at 13.8 and 13.9. Anything above 14 is too wet and will not be dumped by the elevator. To avoid this we had a later start and an early night tonight.

Theo in his mobile office

Theo returns to the field after a hearty meal.

Despite this, for once since harvest started here, I feel like we are getting in a groove. When it rains, it’s hard to get back in the swing of things after a little break- especially for a cook. The rain throws your meal planning off and  sometimes makes it hard to restart your routine. Because when it rains, I take full advantage of the grill and extra hands. Thanks guys!

cutting by as the sun goes down

The dry wheat is riddled with green heads, giving us problems with moisture. So when the sun goes down, it means the moisture goes up.

One thing I like about coming to Kiowa is there are several other harvesters here. Sometimes this stop feels like a custom harvester reunion. We all get to be friends from harvest meetings, cutting/ camping in the same areas and sometimes because the color of equipment we choose.

The girlz hanging out in the field

My girls hanging out in the field as we serve up Birthday Casserole. I have it on good authority the new dish(see below) is a go. Kaidence and the crew said, “It’s good!”

Each year, I also get some new recipes from harvest cooks here. Nothing is a better cure for a cooking slump then a new recipe. The other day Kaidence and I stopped in on Jodi Sugden of Sugden Harvesting as she was cooking up a meal for Rick’s Birthday. His special day was celebrated the same day as Father’s Day and Jodi was making the most appropriate casserole for his special day- Birthday Casserole.

Birthday casserole

Below is the recipe:

2 lbs. Ground Beef browned with a large onion and drained

2 cans tomato soup and 2 cans heavy whipping cream mixed together

4 cups frozen peas

4 cups baby carrots

6-8 cups potatoes peeled and sliced

Blend ingredients together in 4qt. dish with lid or covered with foil. Bake at 325 to 350 degrees for approximately 2 hours until carrots are softened. Jodi says you should let it sit for a bit before serving to allow time for the broth to thicken.

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

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