11 Jul Steph: Harvest hood

Gurley, Nebraska – Harvest is all about the people. It’s about the people you harvest for, the people who provide you with your fuel, the bar/grill in the small town that cooks you supper every night, and the people on the other harvest crews that you get to mingle with at the end of the night. The people are what make the harvest what is it… addictive and unforgettable.

Here in Gurley, the harvest spirit is tangible. The campground is loaded with harvest crew trailers, combine trailers, service trucks and semis. The best part is that we all know each other, so we are just one, big harvest family. Being a harvester is a very misunderstood profession. People just can’t understand why we would want to load up our super expensive equipment on trailers, pack up a camper and haul it all across the country to cut wheat only to load it all back up in a week to do it again in a different town. It sounds crazy, and we all know it does. But it takes a certain kind of crazy to do it, and we all fit the bill. No matter what harvester you ask, the response will be about the same… through the good and bad years, there is nothing we would rather do. 

The harvest here in Gurley is coming to a close for most crews including Anderson Harvesting, and we will be moving north to the Scottsbluff/Bridgeport area within the next day or so. The average crop we have seen is 40 bushels with test weights averaging around 60 pounds. Protein content has hung around 10, so the agriculture community around here is satisfied. It’s such a hail-prone area, so a lot of wheat was hanging low to the ground. Combines had to cut a little lower to get it all, but we got it all and it’s all good. We’ve caught and missed a few showers that have passed through the area, but boy, did I get some good field shots the other night. You can’t buy the awesome lighting that thunderheads combined with a sunset provide.

Quote of the Day – “Cabovers are like Pokemon — gotta catch ’em all!”

Stuff Harvesters Do –  Get excited about finding an extra tarp strap in the service pickup.

Steph and Taylor of C&K Harvesting. She wanted to come ride a few rounds in a Kenworth.

On the road to Gurley.

Of course I photographed a windmill.

Perspectives through the window. This was also taken through the window of my truck.

Blowing smoke.

The sky was amazing this night.

The clouds came around just long enough for me to catch amazing lighting… then the storm passed.

Double trouble.

Dreamy.

I couldn’t take enough photos of this evening.

Comin’ at me.

Edge-of-the-field action.

Combine and grain cart bonding.

Silhouettes.

Pretty blue skies.

Lone wheat head.

Time to swap fields.

Little Miss Carley came for a few rounds in the truck with me.

Trying on the trucker headset.

Thunderheads rolling around.

Steph and Carley of Russell Harvesting.

Big ol’ thunderhead.

Campground full of harvesters.

Breakfast and lunch are ready to go.

Uncle Steve of Russell Harveting with his famous “Stevie Weevie” coffee cup.

Dad!

Chris and Karly Cherney of C&K Harvesting chatting with Eric of Russell Harvesting.

The Russell kids: Carley, Ben and Brady.

Cotton, Uncle Steve’s dog, getting some love from the Lundeen Harvesting kids.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest™ is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere. You can contact Steph at stephanie@allaboardharvest.com.