08 Sep Janel: Wrapping up an interesting harvest

No two harvests are just alike and this has been an interesting one. We had the stress of not knowing when our new combines would arrive and couldn’t get an answer. We got five new ones right before harvest and then three in late June. We were initially expecting them in March. Another challenge has been the fuel price. It’s no good. The best wheat I cut was in western Kansas. It was pivot irrigated and made 97 bushels per acre. The best dryland wheat I cut was in South Dakota and it yielded 95 bushels per acre. My favorite moment this harvest was having all eight combines and five tractors and grain carts in the same field. I really enjoyed getting to harvest with the fourth generation. Having Sunder, Sage, and Sterling working in the field is quite the sight and they already sound like bosses when I hear them on the two-way radio. I absolutely love the rush of harvest and really hustling to get wheat cut. Thank you to the customers, employees, John Deere and MacDon Harvest Support and Schemper Harvesting. I’m so blessed to get to work with my family business. I wish the best of luck to all of the farmers and harvesters. Thanks AAWH sponsors and High Plains Journal too!

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

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is brought to you by ITC Holdings, CASE IH, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, US Custom Harvesters Inc., Unverferth Mfg. Co. Inc., Lumivia CPL by Corteva Agriscience, Kramer Seed Farms, and High Plains Journal.

All eight combines harvesting wheat July 2 in western Kansas. (Photo by Jett Johnson.)

This field of irrigated winter wheat yielded 97 bushels per acre. (Photo by Jett Johnson.)

Miss Maggie Moo, age 13, is at home in Nebraska this summer. Her arthritis has made her become a house dog. She used to go with me everywhere. I can’t wait to get home in September and have her with me.

Cutting next to a wind turbine in western Kansas in late June.

That’s us harvesting wheat in western Kansas July 2. (Photo by Darin Bovey.)

Schemper Harvesting working on another irrigated wheat field July 2. We worked late to get finished up. (Photo by Darin Bovey.)

We had a few sprinkles and then had to let it dry off for about 15 minutes then got going again.

My wheels—John Deere s780 combine and Shelbourne Reynolds XCV36—in the field.

Cutting canola Aug. 19 in North Dakota. That’s my John Deere s780 and MacDon FD240.