19 Jul Janel: Dirt, dust and rainstorms

Western Kansas–We’ve been rained out three times while we’ve been harvesting wheat in western Kansas. Some of the wheat has been laying flat on the ground. The conditions haven’t been the greatest while we’ve been here trying to get the wheat harvested. While combining, the dirt and dust just flies. The combines are filthy from all the dirt, dust and rainstorms.

The wheat has been averaging around 60 and 70 bushels per acre. The test weights have been less than 60 pounds per bushel and with every rain the test weights keep getting worse. The protein has been staying around 12 and 13%.

I think we’ll finally finish up pretty soon and hopefully get moved up to western Nebraska. We have three combines here and five combines there cutting wheat. My brother, Jared, says the wheat in western Nebraska is yielding 60 bushels per acre and all the farmers want their wheat cut right now. We are in big trouble for not being there on time. Again, I can’t help the weather and we got rained out several times here in western Kansas. He also said that there aren’t hardly any custom cutters there yet. I think a lot of us custom cutters are stuck in the same boat here in western Kansas. We are trying to finish up before it rains again.

Our forecast is clear with highs in the 80s and 90s. We should be able to keep on cutting wheat and continue moving north with the wheat harvest. There’s wheat ready in Montana and South Dakota. The weather delays during the first month of harvest put us behind schedule.

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 and a storm building to the west.

We hope to get the field done and get moved to another one before it rains.

Moving to another field but down a trail road. Uh oh. Every time I cut down a trail road it rains. Maybe it’ll miss us this time.

I made one pass around the field and the storm was getting closer and closer.

I made one round and got rained out.

Unloading in the rain.

I got rained out so going back out down the trail road.

It poured for awhile and the roads were a mess and difficult to travel on.

So I drove a truck to town and got in line at the elevator and unloaded the wheat.

It rained at the field but town hadn’t had any rain yet when I got there. It did rain after I got the truck unloaded.

A beautiful sunset at the campground and my mom washing her pickup windshield.

Going to try the same field again down the trail road but this time it’s hot and sunny.

It’s a hot 104 degree day on July 9.

Moving to another field in the dark.

Harvesting a half circle of wheat in western Kansas.

Harvesting wheat. I love harvesting standing wheat.

Harvesting wheat in western Kansas.

A beautiful day of harvesting wheat in western Kansas.

Combining wheat and unloading on the go.

Harvesting wheat.

Harvesting wheat. Trying to get it done before it rains again.

Moving to another wheat field. I love my combine shadow!

Harvesting wheat.