04 Jun Janel: Rain makes grain

Southwest Oklahoma — It’s now May 27. We’ve been on harvest for a week. It feels great to be back in the field. We’ve been seeing good yields and high test weights. The best wheat so far has been averaging 50 to 65 bushels per acre. The test weights have been 63 to 64 pounds per bushel. Rain makes grain, and clearly this area had decent moisture and at the right times during the growing season. It’s nice to see such a great wheat crop!

We have nine combines here and a lot of wheat to cut. However, the chances of rain are high this week. I just want to keep on cutting wheat. The ground is already soft and doesn’t need any more rain right now because it’ll make our conditions muddy and tougher. We’ll keep cutting until it rains. Best wishes for all of you harvesting the grain that feeds the world!

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

Thank you to our 2024 All Aboard Wheat Harvest sponsors: High Plains Journal, Kramer Seed Farms, Lumivia by Corteva Agriscience, Merit Auctions, Shelbourne Reynolds, and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. 

Driving my new tractor and loving it!

I loaded it up and hauled it south for wheat harvest.

Who wants to go harvesting with me? I love it!

This business requires so much fuel.

JC made it to town May 20, and I helped unload equipment. Then they went straight to the field.

Schemper Harvesting cutting a beautiful field of wheat on May 20.

The new s780 John Deere combine and FD245 MacDon flexdraper header.

Cutting wheat May 21.

Such a pretty time of day!

Both the John Deere and MacDon Harvest Support were in our field. We appreciate all that they do for us!

I really can’t handle cutting wheat and cotton stalks. The cotton stalks mess up my brand new tires. It makes me so uptight and nervous running over these.

Wild hogs in my wheat field!

Such a beautiful wheat crop to cut!

Why do I keep seeing butterflies? On this morning, I was feeling stressed and this beautiful butterfly appeared. Then the exact same thing happened the next day and the butterfly landed on my hand. I researched the meaning of it. Some people believe that seeing a butterfly is a sign from heaven that an angel is near, or that a loved one who has passed away is still present. For example, some say that butterflies are “heaven-sent kisses” from angels, or that they are a sign from a guardian angel trying to get someone’s attention. Others say that butterflies can be a sign that a loved one’s spirit is still alive, especially if the butterfly does something unusual, like landing on someone’s hand.

A beautiful wheat crop to cut!

Burning the midnight oil on May 26.