23 Aug Christy: Keeping rolling

Fortuna, North Dakota — A lot of machinery has moved around this week. It’s hard to know where to begin, but I’ll start with where Paul and I are now.

We moved equipment to Ray, and we helped out on lentils for a couple of days before moving north to Fortuna, North Dakota.

After moving to Fortuna and setting up for stripper heads, durum ended up being too wet. Paul moved over by Plentywood, Montana, to work a few days on lentils. After that was complete, he moved back over to start stripping durum again. This durum is doing about 35 to 40 bushels per acre.

Back around Ray we are seeing yields around 25 to 30 bushels per acre, and wheat has produced about 80 to 85 bushels per acre. We’re still waiting for spring wheat to be ready, so machines have moved north to pick up work until that time comes.

Cameron brought equipment up to Fortuna yesterday and began working on lentils by Westby. He’s seeing yields on lentils at around 10 bushels per acre. Lentil averages have varied a lot even field to field in the same area, so hopefully the next field does a little better.

Patrick is still working by Fort Benton. They have been working on chickpeas, lentils, barley and some spring wheat. Some of the spring wheat isn’t quite ready yet. The little bit of spring wheat he’s done so far is averaging around 45 to 50 bushels per acre. Lentils haven’t been quite as good, averaging around 8 bushels per acre. Rain showers have halted a lot of combining by Fort Benton these last few days—and I don’t think the weather wants to cooperate anymore. Hopefully Patrick’s crew can finish up soon and make their way out to North Dakota.

Cael and Zoey have been spending a lot of time in the field, helping out where needed and learning a lot about harvest. I love seeing them run equipment and get involved in the harvest process. I know they’ll be bummed when we have to head home Wednesday for school.

Speaking of heading home, I’ve got about two days left before we leave. I’m busy packing up, hoping I don’t forget anything important, and grateful that the drive will be a little closer than if I left from Montana. As it is, we’re about 700 miles from home. We plan on making our way back out for Labor Day weekend, but I don’t know for sure that Paul will be finished out here. Time will tell.

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