Crops Update #5

My last Crops Update this summer was in mid-August, when the wheat harvest was underway, but other crops were still green and growing.  A lot has changed, and the fields mostly look just dull brown now.  Mixed grains have been harvested, and finally on Friday I saw them starting to work on the soybean fields.  Soon only the corn will be still standing, slowly drying out enough for harvest.

This is the field of mixed grain I've been following just around the corner.  In mid-September they came along and cut the grain.

And later that day they were back with the rest of the equipment, the combine in the distance running down the rows of cut grain.  Note the grain piled in the grain wagon on the left.  By the looks of this equipment, this is a smaller local farmer who owns his own combine.

Farmers have continued to bale their hay, some getting two harvests.  The landscape is dotted with long white lines of hay bales.

And now the soybeans are dried out, brown and ready for harvest.  This is one of the fields I've been watching up the road.

As I passed the barn, I realized they had just started.  This big combine had done one loop around the field, being followed by the tractor with a grain wagon.  But they'd parked all the equipment up for the weekend.  I expect tomorrow they'll be hard at it.

There was a second combine parked there, the header waiting to be attached.  A set of equipment this large, requiring at least four people, is undoubtedly a travelling cash crop crew rather than a local farmer.

And beyond that was another large tractor, complete with what I think is a seeding outfit, complete to the rollers to pack the seed down at the end.  I'm wondering if they're going to immediately follow the harvest by planting winter wheat.

There's just one farm up the road where the soybeans are still looking mostly green.  This farm changed hands last year, and though the new owner moved in and got the former pasture fields ploughed up as soon as he could, the crop ended up going in very late.  Hopefully he'll still get a good harvest, if late.

The corn continues to grow, and will be standing in the fields drying out, likely for some weeks yet.  The corn harvest will be the final crops update of the year when it finally happens.

Meanwhile, some farmers are preparing the fields for next summer.  This was a winter wheat field this year.  I posted pictures of them combining this field and then baling the straw back on Aug. 15th.

It's been fascinating to follow these crop fields this summer, and it's also opened my eyes to the farm year - from preparation through seeding, growing, harvesting and preparing it again for next year.  It's a lot of work!

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