Janel: North Dakota blue skies and golden opportunities

Northeastern North Dakota (15 miles from the Canadian Border)–We got moved up to our last stop on wheat harvest and went straight to the field when we arrived. We’ve been staying busying cutting spring wheat. It’s yielding pretty well even though there’s a drought going on up here in the Dakotas. It’s been making 45 to 65 bushels per acre and the test weights have been around 63 pounds per bushel and the protein has been around 15%.

The weather has been hot and dry. The day we moved up here it was 95 degrees. The harvest is just getting started here and we arrived right on time with two combines. However, we have 6 combines on their way here from Montana. We have spring wheat, field peas and canola to cut. There was some rain in the forecast but it keeps getting pushed back. We’ve been working nearly every single day since we arrived in North Dakota at the end of July. I’m not sure if it’ll rain or not. The wheat and field peas are ready to cut however most of the canola is grass green yet. It’ll ripen right along though with sunshine and the continuous hot and dry conditions.

This year North Dakota has provided plenty of blue skies and golden opportunities. Usually the temperatures are cooler. That’s what I’ve always liked about wheat harvest here. The cooler mornings and evenings feel so nice during wheat harvest. However, we are still having hot summer weather. We’ll continue to stay busy unless it rains. We’ll see what happens these last few weeks of wheat harvest.

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.

Moving to another field in southwestern North Dakota. It is such beautiful country here. There are all kinds of crops grown here and fields everywhere.

Hello, beautiful fields of southwestern North Dakota! I posted this one on my @janelkschemper Instagram page.

My mom weighing and unloading her truck. She’s so good and talented in her career.

Cutting canola in beautiful southwestern North Dakota. The sunflowers were so beautiful while we were there.

A herd of cattle next to a beautiful sunflower field in southwestern North Dakota.

Unloading canola on the truck in southwestern North Dakota.

Such a pretty picture.  I posted this one on my @janelkschemper Instagram page too.

I love days like this one. Such a beautiful day to cut canola in southwestern North Dakota.

Tarping the grain trailer and the clouds and sky were so beautiful on this day.

An old threshing machine parked on the top of a hill in southwestern North Dakota. My dad said my grandpa, Jerry, had one just like it. This one was parked on the corner where we’d turn to go to the field so it was a great land marker.

It is so nice to cut a field like this one. It was a full section of canola.

Cutting canola with the boss in southwestern North Dakota.

I saw some wildlife in the field–mama and twins.

Her twins kept running around in the canola and eventually all three ran away.

One of the twins running out of the combines way.

My mom Carlene unloading canola at the farm yard bin site. She’s really great at this and is a pro at grain bin work!

We finished up in southwestern North Dakota and took the equipment back to town and loaded up.

I made the trip twice and each time I hauled a combine and header. I love life on the road.

It’s great to be back to northeastern North Dakota. My favorite on our wheat harvest run. We unloaded and went straight to the field.

Cutting spring wheat in northeastern North Dakota.

Cutting spring wheat in northeastern North Dakota.

Here is some grass green canola.

Going down a little trail road to get to a field.

Harvesting spring wheat in northeastern North Dakota.

Sprayer tracks.

Cutting spring wheat in northeastern North Dakota.

Smoke in the air “again” and the sun looks a pretty orange color.

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