12 Sep Janel: Another summer harvest

North Dakota — I can’t believe it’s Sept. 2, and another summer harvest has flown by already. It’s been a busy summer. The southern country went quickly as the weather was mostly all good. We started cutting wheat May 20 and stayed consistently busy until mid-July. Then the northern country had its share of delays with not only waiting on wheat to ripen but wet weather, fog and heavy dews. However, North Dakota is my favorite part of the summer, and here I’ve gotten to put in some big days and cut big, beautiful fields of durum, spring wheat and canola. I love being up here during wheat harvest but as always I’m looking forward to returning home to Nebraska for fall harvest!

Here’s a little family business history. Schemper Harvesting has been in business since the 1950s. Gleaner combines were ran from the beginning until the late 1980s. Then, both Case and John Deere combines were purchased in 1988. By 1990, all ten of the Schemper combines were John Deere. We’ve been running John Deere combines for more than 35 years. My grandpa, Jerry, was a first generation harvester. LaVern and Lonny are second generation. JC, Jared and I are third generation, and the fourth generation is currently in school. I cut one wheat field with my nephews in western Kansas. Both Sunder and Sage were running combines and too busy to wave. However, Sterling was running the tractor grain cart and waved so big I’ll never forget it! It was quite the sight seeing the next generation working in the field and doing an excellent job!

Thank you to the farmers. We appreciate each one of you and admire your work ethic! Thank you to both the John Deere and MacDon Harvest Support. We appreciate all that you do to keep us running each wheat harvest. I’ve always been a big fan of the High Plains Journal, so thank you, too! I love wheat harvest and look forward to it each year! Thank you viewers for following along!

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.