Janel: Oceans of gold

Western Kansas–Harvest has been full blast for weeks now and we have been staying very busy.  All eight of Schemper Harvesting’s combines are out here in western Kansas and we are certainly working the days away. The dry land wheat has been yielding in the 50s and 60s and the irrigated in the 80s and 90s. The test weights have been over 60 pounds per bushel and the protein around 12%. Our farmers up north are calling and wanting combines. We’ve got a ways to go yet before we can finish up here and move north to western Nebraska to cut more wheat. I am hearing that there’s wheat being cut from Texas to South Dakota right now.

I enjoy harvesting wheat in western Kansas. I always have and one reason why is because of the fields. They are typically flat and we can get over some acres and I love that so much. There are wheat fields all over out here and they look like oceans of gold. It is quite the sight during harvest time. Some are cut with draper headers but mostly stripper headers are used to harvest the wheat. I get to use my stripper header out here on one job and that’s a part of the summer that I look forward to and really enjoy. I love the fact that when harvesting with a stripper header the combine uses less fuel. There are many benefits and that is just one. Harvesting high yielding wheat with heavy straw is best done with a Shelbourne Reynolds stripper header.

Our forecast is hot and sunny with slight chances of rain. I want to keep on harvesting wheat without any delays. Being in the field all day every day is exactly where I want to be and what I want to do while we are here harvesting wheat.

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.   

Harvesting wheat in western Kansas. Such a beautiful field of wheat to cut.

I am full and waiting on a tractor and grain cart to arrive. I didn’t have to wait long. I enjoyed taking a few minutes to get out of the combine and check out the wheat field.

Such beautiful wheat to get to cut.

When the wheat heads are kinked over like this the wheat is definitely ready to be cut.

Such a beautiful field and evening to cut wheat in western Kansas.

Moving to another field in western Kansas. Oceans of gold on both sides of the road. I love it. It’s always quite the sight.

Beautiful wheat to cut this year in western Kansas.

One of the small town elevators we haul wheat to. The days lately have been super cloudy.

We are staying busy cutting wheat.

I am loading the truck. (Photo by Carlene Schemper.)

Looks like rain is on the way. We got this 213-acre field cut and then it rained 4 to 7 inches in this area after midnight.

Harvesting wheat and unloading on the go. I love this time of day and my combine shadow.

Unloading wheat on the truck and a storm is approaching. I always think maybe it’ll go around us.

Working late at night again.

Unloading wheat on the go.

Got the wheat cut and moving on to harvest more wheat.

I have my blue header on now. I love it. Harvesting wheat and unloading on the go in western Kansas.

A beautiful evening to harvest wheat on July 3. We worked late because we had decent conditions including wind. We shutdown after midnight.

Harvesting late at night again.

Harvesting wheat and unloading on the go.

We had a storm build up to the east of us and it moved west and rained us out. We got a half inch in the field we were harvesting.  However, it was dry a couple miles west so we moved fields and had dry wheat to cut.

I love harvesting flat dry fields. 

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