30 Jun Janel: Wowzer wheat

Western Kansas — When we arrived out west on June 20, I didn’t know what to expect for wheat yields. To my surprise, the dryland wheat is yielding very well. The first quarter of wheat I cut made 95 bushels per acre. It was one of the most beautiful fields of wheat I’ve ever cut. All of the dryland wheat has been yielding well, and I’ve been calling it wowzer wheat. Like wow! It’s nice wheat.

The days have been hot, and the wind has been blowing. Our forecast continues to be hot in the 90s and 100s and windy. However, there are slight chances of thunderstorms. I’m enjoying all of my combine time. The fields are flat, smooth and mostly square quarters and half sections. We are using our Shelbourne Reynolds stripper headers, and the fields are dry and conditions good.

We have seven combines here and staying very busy. There are also two near Dodge City yet that got slowed up by a lot of rain on June 18 and 19. They are fighting mud, and I know that isn’t any fun at all. Once they finish, there they’ll join us here. Today is June 23. Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. I’m glad we got to spend the day cutting wheat! We celebrated, of course, with cake and my homemade vanilla ice cream!

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, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., and U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. 

We finished this southern Kansas field on June 18. We were lucky to finish before it rained several inches.

So happy to finish up before the rain! Now it’s time to load up and move out west!

We loaded up June 19 and moved to western Kansas.

We put the Shelbourne Reynolds stripper headers on and went straight to the field June 20.

This is such a beautiful field of wheat.

My dad harvesting wheat June 20 in western Kansas.

A beautiful wheat crop.

It’s such a beautiful day to harvest wheat.

I love this time of day!

I love a western Kansas sunset!

Very nice wheat!

I love being out here in the field! However, the wind has been high. It’s another hold on to your hat kind of day!

Beautiful wheat.

My Saturday night. Harvesting wheat June 22 in western Kansas.

Amazing dryland wheat to cut.

A lot of wind and dust.

Just starting on irrigated wheat on June 23.

Harvesting late at night in western Kansas on June 23. This wheat is yielding very well.