27 Jun Steph: Support systems
Dodge City, Kansas – There are two cup holders in the combine. I jumped in for a few rounds and put my lemonade-flavored Monster Rehab next to John’s filled-to-the-brim Yeti coffee cup. Combining along, I hit a plethora of bumpy spots in the field, a typical occupational hazard. I go to take a sip of my drink and got a sip of half coffee/half lemonade Monster. I don’t recommend the combination. Here’s to you, bumpy Kansas wheat fields.
DISCLAIMER: It will never be just “a few rounds.” That’s the trick phrase a harvester will use to get you to switch places for whatever reason.
Before that story was given the opportunity to occur, we did incur some rainy days that were filled with wrenches and combine rehab. That’s the thing about harvest — time is of the essence. When the conditions allow to cut wheat, you cut wheat. A lot of times, any fixes that happen during this harvest prime-time are effective but done in a haste in order to get the combine rolling again as soon as possible. However, when it rains, it’s time to tear things apart and fix things up right. A lot of my posts have included MacDon Harvest Support lately, but it’s because… they rock! They come out to us and not only bring the parts but also the knowledge on how to correctly put the parts on the header. There are so many replaceable parts on these headers that when I asked for an estimation, they laughed at me.
You will begin to notice there will be not one but TWO combines out in the field now. With another combine comes another truck and two more crew members. John’s dad, Tim, brought his own 8240 Case down the other day along with an additional truck driver named Bo. And then there were five.
Quote of the Day – “I threw ice cream at her. She’s better now.”
Stuff Harvesters Do – Ask anyone, and I mean anyone, if they have or know someone who needs their wheat cut. This means waitresses, grocery store clerks, gas station attendants – you name it.
All Aboard Wheat Harvest™ is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere. You can contact Steph at stephanie@allaboardharvest.com.
Paul Tomlinson
Posted at 07:48h, 28 JuneGood morning from central Iowa! keep on cut’n & post’n! really enjoy “helping with the harvest”
Scott bannister
Posted at 08:49h, 29 JuneI think a grinder shot is really a plasma cutter shot
Larry Rusco
Posted at 09:09h, 29 JuneReally enjoy your grest pictures. As a former Kansas farm boy, I can still follow harvest That’s probably the part I miss the most about growing up on farm. Keep it up.
Robin Parton
Posted at 12:07h, 29 JuneSo enjoy your reports. You are close to my farmland right now. You help me to know what is going on in that part of the country since I live so far away.