01 Aug Steph: Hot dog stands

Scranton, North Dakota – On one corner, the wheat is days away from being ready to cut. Across the road, the field is grass green and won’t be ready for weeks. A hop and a skip down the road, wheat is being swathed and baled. When the insurance company is paying the farmer to bale rather than harvest, how could you say no? It’s tough for me as a harvester to type that, but I also understand profit margins. Don’t be surprised if harvest crews add some instruments and a hot dog stand to their crew. Just imagine, the crew/band playing some country music and selling hot dogs in the wheat field. Combines park strategically around the bandstand, passing the time before the wheat ripens. Sounds pretty awesome, actually.

Once the duals were put back on and we replaced a couple concaves, Papa T roaded the combine to the first wheat field that we thought would be ready to go. He took a few swipes out of it. We took a sample to the elevator, and that was that. Mind you, the elevator we will actually be hauling to wasn’t open, so I guess it wasn’t meant to be anyway. Sixteen percent moisture just won’t cut it, not to mention the rain on the horizon. However, the protein content was 14, so that makes up for the 54 pound test weight. It’s looking like the harvest is like the rain… somewhere on the horizon.

Quote of the Day – “We got bugs on the bumper and a bear in the air.”

Stuff Harvesters Do – See an abandoned bucket in the ditch? Stop and grab it. You never have enough buckets.

Duals back on and ready to go.

New concave versus old concave.

Wide open Nodak country.

Not quite ready, but it looks pretty good.

Ever tried this? Well, we tried it for you, and I’m telling you it’s delicious.

Papa T, fenangling the concave.

Grass green wheat just a few miles down the road from the ripe field.

Got a sample cut.

You just never know what will be used for a sample container.

The super old, vintage equity in Hettinger, ND.

Combine tires on a cabover — unreal.