Janel: The wheat’s changing colors

Southwest Oklahoma–We arrived at our first harvest stop on May 25. The wheat was still a little green and the forecast not so hot. We took the time to attend the US Custom Harvesters, Inc. safety meeting in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a very good meeting and there was quite the crowd that attended. The speakers were really great and hopefully everyone learned a lot. Safety should always be a priority. Did you know that truck drivers are required to wear a seat belt and texting while driving is not allowed at all? I see people texting and driving way too often and crossing the center line. It scares me every single time. Please be safe out on the roads everyone. We also attended the MacDon Custom Harvest Kickoff breakfast in Vernon, Texas, on May 27. There were quite a few harvest crews that attended and we appreciated the meeting.

Since then we have been looking at the wheat fields we will be cutting. Our crew is more than ready to get going. We have cut a few loads and one small field made 70 bushels per acre. Once the weather turns hot and the skies clear up then the wheat will ripen up especially quickly if the days are hot and windy. I’ve walked several wheat fields and the wheat heads are full. I’m looking forward to harvesting this wheat crop and adding up the ticket bushels and figuring up the yields. I’m sure the farmers are going to want it cut as soon as possible. The wheat price is up $2 per bushel from this time last year.

The MacDon Custom Harvest Support guys stopped by on May 30 and worked on our MacDon headers. I think it’s amazing customer service that they take the time to do a walk-around all of our headers at the beginning of wheat harvest each year. If there are problems they get them fixed. I appreciate every one of the members that are on the MacDon Custom Harvest Support team.

Our forecast has chances of thunderstorms in it almost every day for the next week and highs only in the seventies and low eighties. Summer, where are you at? I am overly ready for the hot and windy wheat cutting days. The wheat is changing colors from green to gold and I can’t wait to be back in the field and cutting full blast.

Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by Case IH, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc., BASF, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Gleaner, ITC, Westbred, Huskie, Western Equipment, US Custom Harvesters, and High Plains Journal.   

It was raining when we left home.  We had a good trip though.  It was cloudy and cool the whole way.

I stopped in southern Kansas and got a box full of All Aboard Wheat Harvest t-shirts!  When we arrived in southwest Oklahoma everyone was excited to get their new t-shirt!  Thanks AAWH and sponsors!

Sunder and my mom wearing their new AAWH t-shirts!

Sterling and my mom wearing their new AAWH t-shirts!  Sterling said he loves the peach color!

Two Texas highway patrols were speakers at the US Custom Harvesters, Inc safety meeting in Wichita Falls, Texas. It was a very good meeting and I was impressed. I kept hearing about cell phone abuse. Cell phones are a dangerous distraction at work. Insurance companies forbid cell phone operation while the vehicle is in motion.

The Texas highway patrol did an excellent job with explaining safety in detail during the equipment walk around. It was very informational and greatly appreciated.

This was at the walk around of an oversize load.

It was a good crowd of harvesters and employees. I was happy to see a good attendance. 

I think everyone is excited to get some wheat cut!

Harvest crew safety meeting continues on around the machinery and trucks.

Harvest crew safety meeting. I was very impressed with the Texas Highway Patrol’s demonstrations of safety.

Safety video provided by Case IH.

I’ve seen this video many times. Safety should always be a priority.

Make safety a full-time job!  I agree with that statement.

I enjoyed my day at the safety workshop in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Sunder, Sterling and Sage playing trucks and combines at our campground.

The wheat heads are standing straight up. It needs heat, sunshine and wind to ripen.

It’s not ready to cut until the wheat heads are kinked over and the green color is gone.

There are quite a few green heads in this wheat field yet. It’s a decent looking crop this year and the wheat price is up $2 per bushel from last year.

This was at the MacDon Custom Harvest Kickoff Breakfast in Vernon, Texas. JC did the welcome speech.

My wheels all ready to go. We just need wheat cutting weather to get in the field.

Sterling loves his new All Aboard Wheat Harvest t-shirt. Thanks again AAWH and sponsors!

Sunder is ready to run combine and get some wheat cut. I’ve noticed recently he wears Gleaner shirts almost every single day. We leased a Gleaner a couple of years ago and Sunder is definitely a Gleaner fan.

MacDon stopped by May 30 to check out all of our headers.

We appreciate the customer service provided by MacDon Custom Harvest support.

I was asked if I wanted a new hat. Yes, of course. Thank you MacDon. I got two.

I am ready to run my new combine.

The wheat is getting closer to being ready to cut. I’ve harvested this wheat field many times over the years.

I can still see green wheat but it is getting more ripe in the sunshine and the breeze helps ripen it too.

The wheat heads are full. There’s a lot of grain out there that needs to be harvested.

Cloudy cool days are delaying harvest.

I can’t wait to be in the field.

At least I have three nephews here at our campground to play cards with while we wait for the weather to cooperate with harvest and the wheat to ripen.

 

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