Janel: Southwest Nebraska Wheat Harvest

Southwest Nebraska – It’s still unreal to me that we had nothing to cut in western Kansas. I didn’t get to use my Shelbourne header much in Kansas this year.  Blue header time is one of my favorite times during wheat harvest.  I’m disappointed.

We spent the 4th of July cutting in southwest Nebraska.  The wheat yielded 80 plus bushels per acre and the test weight 61 lbs.  For the most part, the wheat was standing good but there were places where it was lodged.  That meant slow and low cutting.  It also made for a really long day of cutting wheat.

We have been looking for more work until our next wheat cutting jobs are ready for us. I’ve driven many miles and visited many elevators looking for work but have had no luck (yet).  There is lots of wheat around that is ready to be cut.

There is quite the rotation of crops going on out west nowadays. Some wheat country is now corn country.  It looks to me like there is more corn planted than ever out here.  One reason to rotate crops is to clean up the ground if there are a lot of noxious weeds, volunteer rye, goatgrass and cheatgrass that grow in the fields and cause yield loss.  One thing about southwest Nebraska during wheat harvest time is that it’s absolutely beautiful out here.

Schemper Harvesting 2018It’s just pretty out west at wheat harvest time.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018My sleeping beauty, Moo.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Lodged wheat in places across this field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Harvesting wheat at sunset.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018This wheat yielded 80 bushels per acre.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Unloading wheat onto the truck.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018It’s just pretty out west at wheat harvest time.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018My combine shadow.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018My combine shadow at sunset.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018My dad and I cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Good looking wheat.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Cutting wheat next to the pivot.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018That’s us cutting wheat in southwest Nebraska.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018It’s just pretty out west.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018It was hot outside.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Some days are just exhausting Moo says.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018My combine.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting 2018Oh my stars!  I love family and ice cream!  Left to right: Moo, me, Sage, Sterling, Sunder and my dad LaVern.  Photo by Carlene Schemper.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by High Plains Journal and John Deere.  Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.

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