Field work is progressing along really well. They started harvest with making earlage. This is when they chop the corn, from the ear up, to make feed for the steers they raise. This happened between rains in September and into October.
From there they went to combining corn. Typically they harvest beans next but the beans were too wet from all the rain.
Carver was out for a ride with Grandpa when they were on corn harvest.
He really had a good time once he got over the noise.
It was pretty exhausting for him as he fell asleep on the ride home and Kalissa had to carry him and put him to bed.
On Saturday Buck came home and had Scotty with. Lucy stayed home with mom. (I love her head of hair!) She’s growing lots and is a smart cookie already saying “momma” and “dada”. She’ll be one in December.
We missed seeing her but there will be more chances when she’s a little bigger and takes car rides a little bit better.
Buck always comes home sometime in the fall and rides in the combine with Hubby. It’s their thing….This year, Scotty came with.
They switch over to harvesting soybeans. Beans are WAY more picky about the weather and typically completely harvested by now. If all goes well they have two-ish days left.
If you look close you can see Hubby and Scotty in the combine. Combines are so nice now days. They have “buddy seats”.
Manufacturers of combines finally realized that farming is a family operation and families were missing their farmers. What a blessing for the additional buddy seats.
They have about 400 acres of corn left. That would be from 4-6 days worth. With corn they had some 100 acre days but also some 80 acres days. It all depends on what cattle work needs to be done before they can get to the field.
In the middle of harvest they got in 250 (or so) new beef calves. They are what Hubby terms as “Bawlers”. They are newly weaned and beller a lot. They are all due for health updates so Monday is the day to run them all through the head gate and get them up to date. That’s a day little harvesting will be happening. Harvest is moving into November but the guys, even with the setbacks, are getting caught up. That is such a relief. We’ve had snow flakes floating by occasionally and that always is a scare but so far, so good.
With any luck, I’ll have a husband back by Thanksgiving. Sadly even after the crop is harvested, there is still lots of extra work to be done….round baling, tillage and the like. I’ve done really well so far not wallowing in missing him…way better than most harvest seasons. I hope I can keep that up to the end.
We drove through Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa three weeks ago. The combines were very busy! A fun sight I haven’t seen since leaving Wisconsin 27 years ago. Thank you, farmers!
Thank you for the vision of farming! It is hard work for sure! Even riding in the big rigs! Lots of time spent. Carol
I appreciate your farm talk. I’m small town stock, but not farmer. Where I live now we have fields all around, and I see the farmer out doing his thing, but I don’t know him personally. He rents the acres near here. It’s interesting for me to learn what’s going on in the farmers’ life.
Love that picture of Carver grinning ear to ear! Lucy does have a ton of hair! What cuties!
We are behind with harvest in East Central MN also. It is a good reminder that we are not in control, I also like to remember that this too shall pass. I used to do all of the combining, but as our sons have grown, I got kicked out of the combine and I miss it so much.
It is wonderful to see the little ones get a chance to ride with, it will give them great memories.
For the noise, there are foam ear plugs that do a great job of protecting the hearing. I also found I could hear the engine better, because the plugs would get rid of the other noises. I use them with all equipment, including the lawn mower and shop vac. Hearing is a precious gift.
That is a hard working farmer you have there! I bet the grandkids made his day. So fun for them to ride along.
Up here in NW Iowa we are almost finished with harvest. This year the amount of acres per day depends on when and how many times they are stuck in the soft spots!! We don’t have any animals and not as many acres. We have enough for us at this age :-). But, like you say, after the harvest there is a lot of work to be done with chiseling all the packed areas. At this age, I just cook and chase farmers around and parts if needed. Hope you get finished before the winter sets in! Love your blog. Look forward to reading it every day,
Really enjoyed learning more about the work on the farm. The children are making wonderful memories! What a wonderful experience for them! I work in produce and often think of all the work the farmers have been through to get the vegetables to the store. Thank you!
Used to be, when my kids were little, they would ride with Daddy out in the combine and have to be seat-belted in because they would always fall asleep. Then it was the neighbor boys would ride and sleep. And now the grand kids ride and sleep in the combine with their Daddy. Doesn’t get any better than that! Love farm life! Harvest is late this year due to all of the rain we got in September and October. Our beans are done here, will move 20 miles down south so they can harvest Son’s in-laws beans. Gotta get the beans out before they start popping. Still have lots of corn to combine. Not sure if we will be done by Thanksgiving or not. Oh, well! Such is farm life!