Autumn Harvest Days

With a small 7 acre field completed last night and the edges off another, we have officially begun harvest! Today we will complete the field south on highway 50 and start another. Farmer Ken had told me to come to the field around 3 to 3:30 when he would be ready to take the truck of soybeans to the elevator. I arrived shortly after 3 and he was ready to leave (after ~50 years of farming he knows it better than any GPS system on a computer could even come close!).
It is always intimidating to run the combine the first time of the season. A monstorous machine that is worth more than most people's houses can be somewhat intimidating, so I say "go with me the first round". As always, I remember what to do to operate it. Farmer Ken leaves with words of warning: "don't go over 3.5 miles per hour today". Stern warning well heeded. The soybeans are a little tough yet (chewy as I call them) with a few green ones mixed in. Go too fast and you get a constipated combine, and let me tell you there is nothing worse than a plugged up combine that can take 2-3 hours to clean out!

I soon fall into the rhythm and enjoy the beautiful fall day and the large soybean plants being cut off and devoured by the big machine (kind of like mowing a lawn).

It is a beautiful time of year and the culmination of a years work and expense. I can understanfd why Famer Ken has always said: "I always hate it when harvest is over!".

As the combine gets full, Farmer Ken returns with the truck and takes over the operation again. Tomorrow we will go to bigger fields and get the auger wagon out to add to capacity to load out the soybeans from the combine.
Don't ya think he looks proud!



The fall jewel tone colors of the sumac and golden leaves on the locust trees are wonderful this year.

All of our fields are edged by woods on at least one side. Later in the afternoon, wild turkeys and deer may come out of the woods to enjoy the last of the day's sun and eat a bit on the newly harvested field.

We are keepers of the land and share it with all. We don't really own it, we only use it while we are here. Farmer Ken will leave the farms better than when he got them and there will always be woods and fresh water for the wild animals, as well as his corn and soybeans that they help themselves to!