This last week was the end of corn harvest for some of the farmers around Central Kansas. If you’ve paid attention to any of the forecasts, you’ve probably heard about all of the rain we’ve been receiving here.. Which has made picking corn and sowing wheat a little bit difficult to do!
Thankfully though, we received enough dry days that many of the farmers around were able to get their machines into the fields and picking corn.
Throughout the few days where I got to go out to the field and ride, I spent most of my free time taking a picture here and there, and being the little shutterbug that I am!
Most of the time I spent riding (or hanging around) the Peterbilt, but at one point, I did manage to wiggle in a ride in the combine!
Here we are at the end of a field and the combine is emptying itself onto one of the grain trucks, before leaving for the neighboring field.
You see that little black hole in the elevator? That’s where we’re going! Every time the grain truck fills up with corn, we head to the Co-op. We weigh on the scales, pull into (or right beside) the grain elevator, dump our corn, and then go back and weigh again on the scales, but this time we’re empty.
I’m rather claustrophobic, so I couldn’t handle working inside the grain elevator when there are large trucks and semi’s coming in, but I’m sure thankful for the people who can!
Here’s a picture of the combine dumping on the grain cart while still cutting corn.. They don’t stop (usually), but just keep right on cutting!
Remember I told you I managed to wiggle in a ride in the combine? Here we are, looking out of it, while unloading onto the grain cart again.
You might have read the post where I was talking about out Labor Day Storm (I think “tornado” sounds more exciting, but we’ll stick with calling it a storm!) and I talked about how impressive it was to watch all of the guys that were harvesting, run their machinery into a machine shed, with mere inches in between the metal? (No? You really ought to.. If just to see the pictures! So check it out here.)
That’s what I think of when someone mentions that I should learn to drive the tractor and grain cart! While it looks fairly easy, I’m quite convinced that I would end up melding metal together. Or in other words, there’s no way that I could keep the tractor in sync with the running combine!
If you’ve never watched a combine and grain cart unload on the go, you really should. It’s quite fun!
Inside the combine, there is a multitude of buttons, switches, controls, etc. Why, there’s even a computer screen! (I believe they refer to it as a monitor?) Personally, I’ve wrestled a little bit at times with the urge to just reach over and start playing with switches. I shouldn’t be admitting this probably, but it’s true. The struggle is real!
But don’t worry – I’ve controlled myself!
Even more tempting is that monitor.. It’s a touch screen and occasionally the idea of just reaching over and poking it makes its way into my head.
Besides all of those fun little things, there’s one big, orange handle that controls pretty much everything the head does. It can tilt it, raise and lower, and several other things.
So yes, it’s probably safe to say, that I shouldn’t be left alone for too long in a combine, without a book or cell phone to occupy myself with!
Looking down from inside the combine, you’ll find the corn reel working away. Those long black things that you see are what some refer to as the “fingers”. They help guide the corn into the feeder house and keep the head from plugging up, but they also have another purpose.. Hypnosis! I haven’t known a little kid yet that hasn’t sat and watched the reel on a combine go around, and around, and around. They’re mesmerizing and I still love to sit and watch them!
For about two minutes.. And then my eyes start rolling to the back of my head and I decide that’s enough!
This was one of my most favorite pictures that was taken during corn harvest. The combine had just switched drivers and finished a field, and was heading back to cut the last one in that area. You can still see the corn husks being sprayed out the back!
Before you knew it, the long days in the field had passed and it was getting dark. Here, I was playing with my camera settings so that I could try taking some more pictures in a low light setting. A few of them turned out!
Even after dark, farmers around Kansas were still hard at work, trying to get the last little bit cut and into the trucks before it was time to head home for the evening. Harvest is a busy time and you never know what time it will be before everyone is in the house, ready for some sleep.
It was fun to ride along and be a part of this year’s corn harvest, and I can’t wait until the soybeans dry up and it’s time to cut them too!
If you’re still wanting to read more about corn harvest around here, check out Kaitlyn’s post over on her blog, Twin Thoughts!
Until later, happy harvests!
Ashleigh
Erica Schmidt says
I cannot tell you how excited I was to stumble across your site this morning! I grew up in Western Kansas and love this post and all the beautiful photos. I was actually looking for a Tuesday link party through FBC and saw your post. I’d love to link up if you are still hosting one! Look forward to connecting with a fellow Kansas blogger, have a great week!