11 Jun Janel: We Are Here and Want To Cut Wheat

Frederick, Oklahoma – I managed to pack my bag and get out the door once again for harvest. People always ask me when I’m leaving for harvest and I honestly don’t know until the time comes as it depends heavily on the weather.  The first trip down, May 23, I drove a Peterbilt truck and hauled a combine and header.  We had a good trip having no blown out tires but we had one little road construction detour.  The second trip down, May 28, I drove a Peterbilt truck again and hauled a tractor and grain cart.  We had one blown out tire but good luck otherwise.

Well we are here and made it to our first harvest stop. That’s an accomplishment because it takes a lot of work to prepare for harvest and get things ready to go and down the road.  It feels great to be back!  I didn’t get to come here the past two years due to drought so this year it’s appreciated probably more than ever to have the opportunity again but instead of a drought it’s been a flood almost.

We’ve got wheat ready to be cut here but the forecast has rain in it nearly everyday. Like always, I just want to cut wheat all day every single day.  That’s why we are here!  We did cut some wheat today, May 28, and it was showing 50 bushels per acre for a yield and 12 percent moisture.  We were also using 4-wheel drive in the field because the fields are wet due to so much rain lately.  In fact, my entire trip south I saw water in the ditches and in the fields all along Highway 183 for 500 miles.  There were a few places that looked flooded.  Rain rain go away!  It’s time to cut wheat!

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

Schemper Harvesting getting ready to take a sample near the Texas-Oklahoma border on May 28, 2019.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting making dust on the Texas-Oklahoma border on May 28, 2019.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

JC Schemper cutting wheat in southwest Oklahoma on May 28, 2019.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Miss Moo so happy to be back in the wheat field May 28, 2019!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Miss Moo is a wheat harvest model!  She’s so beautiful and loves being in the field with me!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Working on getting our first load of wheat for 2019!  The rut demonstrates how soft the field was from recent rainfall.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

That’s a pretty sight especially when it’s the first hopper full of the harvest season!  Photo by Janel Schemper.

The first load of wheat went 12.1% and 61 pound test weight.  Photo by JC Schemper.

This is what I drove south for harvest on my second trip.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

Schemper Harvesting trucks that went south for wheat harvest.  Photo by Janel Schemper.

My nephew Sage Schemper rode with me in a truck all the way to Oklahoma.  Photo by Janel Schemper.