24 Aug Janel: Snow, Rain, Good Farmers

Grand Forks, North Dakota – The spring wheat we’ve been harvesting recently has been as beautiful as ever. The yields have been great. I know nobody likes a bragger. Definitely not bragging, just saying! They must have had a good winter and the perfect amount of snow and rain (moisture) with the perfect timing to grow such a beautiful wheat crop here in North Dakota. They put on the fertilizer too. I will give the farmers credit. There are good farmers here and they know how to get it done and done right!

The wheat I harvested recently has been yielding over 80 bushels per acre and the protein 13 and 14 percent. The test weights have been 63 and 64 pounds per bushel.  The weather has been hot and dry but we haven’t had that good of cutting conditions because of the smoke from the Canada fires. We didn’t see the sun for several days because the smoke was blocking it and the humidity was high and that made it tough going. The smoke created a haze and the sun looked red. We were ready for the smoke to disappear so we could have good cutting conditions again. We eventually got a little breeze and some of the smoke slowly cleared out of here. Then we got a 15 mph wind and finally had sunshine again. We are now cutting canola.

Our forecast for the next 10 days is sunny but highs only in the 70s. There’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. The weather here can change quickly to wet drizzly conditions and stay that way for a while. That is why it’s necessary to get the crops harvested before the weather changes. I am happy for the harvest progress we’ve had so far.  I love being here and harvesting in North Dakota.  I always have and I think I always will!

She’s as sweet as pie!  Moo loves her combine rides!  Photo by Carlene Schemper.

A beautiful wheat crop in North Dakota. Photo by Janel Schemper.

Moo knows how to pose so well!  This isn’t her first rodeo!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

My combine shadow and an excellent wheat crop.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

A smokey day in North Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

A very smokey day created tough cutting conditions.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

The Canada fire smoke looked like fog.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

A very smokey day in North Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting cutting wheat in North Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting the last pass of this field.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Miss Moo dreaming away.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Mirror shot on a very smoky day.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

The smoke in the air made the sun look red.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

A red sun and we didn’t have sunshine for days.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

She loves a cooled seat.  Can’t blame her, I do too!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Beautiful spring wheat.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Cutting wheat late at night.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

The best wheat crop I’ve harvested this year.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Excellent quality spring wheat in North Dakota.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

We finally saw the sun today 19AUG18.  The smoke filled the air for almost a week.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Another reason I love harvesting here!  My cutter friends are all here cutting wheat too and we sometimes get to have coffee together early in the a.m.!  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.