03 Jul Janel: Can’t beat the heat

Dodge City, Kansas—We’ve been cutting wheat for thirty days now and finally we’re having our wanted many consecutive days of sunshine, wind, clear skies and heat and it’s doing us wonders! Harvest is moving northward quickly now with this 90 degree heat.  We have been in Kansas since June 25.  Trucks and combines are still coming north out of Texas and Oklahoma.  My brother, JC,  just finished up in the Texas Panhandle on June 28.

We cut in the Pratt area for a few days and had decent luck. The wheat made 20 to 55 bushels per acre.  So many wind turbines have gone up in that area in the past year.  I had to cut around a few of them.  We finished up and moved towards the Dodge City area and are cutting very good wheat.  We were concerned it’d be muddy here but I think we got here at just the right time.  The wheat is yielding well and the test weight is 63 to 64 pounds per bushel.  We’ll cut here for a few days and then move north again.

With the clear forecast, Kansas will have a lot of combines cutting wheat across the state this week. Bring on the sunshine and heat, us harvesters will take it!

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

Our last evening in Oklahoma.  Going on a walk and it was so hot and humid.  (Photo by Sierra Schemper.)

Oklahoma’s pretty colors.  Moo on a walk with us.

Sierra on a walk in Oklahoma.

I am Sierra’s personal photographer on harvest.  She’s so pretty! 

Our last evening in Oklahoma.  (Photo by Carlene Schemper.)

My dad’s wheels, all 24 of them on the ground!  That’s a good driver!

My wheels all loaded up, 24 tires on the ground plus 4 on the combine and 2 on the header is 30 altogether!  That’s a lot of tires!

Just like that we made it to Kansas and took a sample and started cutting!  This wheat made 55 bushels per acre near Pratt, Kansas.

My dad cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas.

That pretty old cottonwood tree, a pretty sky and a whole bunch of brand new wind turbines.  I love Kansas!  It’s so beautiful here!

Here comes another crew!  That’s us with five combines and three tractor grain carts going to one field.

Is this Miss Moo’s supper in the field or mine?  (Photo by Carlene Schemper.)

A pretty Kansas sunset.

Our crew coming down the road to another field.

Unloading wheat in the field.

Sierra Schemper cutting wheat.  We are so lucky to have sunshine, wind and heat to get this wheat cut!

My dad cutting wheat and unloading on the go.

Mom delivered supper to the field and parked under a shade wind turbine.

Schemper Harvesting cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas.  (Photo by Carlene Schemper.)

Schemper Harvesting cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas.  (Photo by Carlene Schemper.)

So many dogs running around town.  Moo gets a little excited.

Something so pretty about growing corn under a pivot.  Gorgeous colors in the summer.

Cutting wheat near Pratt, Kansas.

While fueling up my tractor I had to take this picture.  We had just finished at Pratt and going to town to load up to move north.

One of the greatest things about harvest is the meals that are brought to the field!

We have a lot of meals on the go during harvest.  By the way, whatever I have for a meal in the combine Miss Moo gets half!

I love the close to town fields and when I can see the truck unloading destination from the field! 

A perfect looking wheat crop.  This field made 70 plus and the test weight was 62.9 to 64 pounds per bushel near Dodge City, Kansas.

My lunch.  I love field sandwiches!

The combine rides let her rest!

A beautiful field of wheat near Dodge City, Kansas.

My dad cutting wheat near Dodge City, Kansas.

Just like that the field was done!  On to the next one!

Sierra on the road!