Currently

Currently, in our neck of the woods, harvest is in full swing!

For those of you that know me, know that harvest is my favorite time of year!  

You can feel the excitement in the air, And there is a buzz about town with all the trucks coming in and out to the elevators.  And the views of the fields are amazing!  Some years the heat is just scorching, but the last several evenings have been beautiful!  There's been just enough of a breeze to make things pleasant.  And if you can get "just a breeze" in western Oklahoma, you know your lucky!

The boys love harvest too!  Cooper is big enough now that he can go to the field with his dad without having to have me there to keep him out of trouble!  And he makes a hand too; he loves to help.  Wyatt want's so badly to keep up with his brother but he is still so little that he needs momma there to keep him from getting hurt.  Yesterday was the first time he got to go ride the combine without mommy being there.  He was so excited and he told me "I drink pop from ice chest!"

Yes!  When your in the field, you always get extra snacks to pack in the ice chest and the dinners are amazing!  Field food is kinda like what you eat at Thanksgiving or Christmas.  You only eat like that, that one time of year, and it is SO YUMMY!!

We started cutting wheat on Saturday night and up until this evening things have ran smoothly.  This evening we had a break down, but if all goes well, we'll be back up and running again tomorrow! 

These are just a few of the snapshots I've taken with my phone.  I am hoping to write a post with the pictures I took with my big camera very soon.  Things around here will be crazy for the next couple weeks but I'll still keep you posted!

Lovin' this life

Amy

Harvest 2014

I know a lot of you have been wondering how our harvest was this year.  Especially since we have been in this drought for three years.

We did have a harvest.  Well, a small one.  Most of the wheat was poor quality, thin, or none at all.  Lots of the hay in this part of the country was cut for hay.  But, we all saved enough to cut for seed for next year.

The wheat was so short, or low to the ground, that we had a hard time cutting it.  We had to run the header so low that we kept scooping up rocks!

This year, my baby was old enough to ride the combine with out his mama!

I am not sure what I think of this.  I felt so unneeded!  I sent him off with his Daddy every day with his backpack, rag and his puppy. 

One particular night, I met them in the field with supper and Cooper said to me "Mamma, you stay here.  I'm going to help Daddy. We don't need you."  I almost cried.  I spent less time on the combine this year than any other year, except the year I was pregnant and that was just because I was due at any moment and how was I supposed to climb up there if I couldn't even see my feet?

Baby J did have a first this year at harvest.  He got to take his first ride on the truck to the elevator.  He was so excited!  He even got to get out with Uncle Levi and watch the wheat dump!

Praying that this rain will keep coming!

Amy

It's Over!

1.  Harvest is over!  Yay!  Well, it was actually over on Saturday, but I'm so excited that it's over I'm still celebrating today. 

2.  The guys had three breakdowns this year. I think they were they we're the worst breakdowns we've had since I've been in the family!  We started cutting two Mondays ago, and everything was going smooth, then last Monday we had our first big problem and it took two days to fix. They had to gut the combine to get to the part that malfunctioned. After that everything kinda went downhill. As LB said "it took the fun out of cuttin' wheat"

3.  I didn't take very many pictures this year.  I'm not sure why, maybe because I spent most of my time in the field keeping track of a very curious little boy or feeding the guys.

4.  I'm glad harvest is over, mostly because I know how hard the boys had to work to get everything cut this time.  I was worn out for them!

Give me a couple of weeks and I'll be ready for next year!

Amy

What Happens Next...

I don't think I have ever taken the time to tell y'all what happens after we get the wheat out of the field...

Once the truck is loaded with wheat, we take it to the Elevators.

 

The truck is then driven onto the scales and weighed and then a sample of the wheat is taken.

 

The truck is weighed because wheat is sold by the bushel and each bushel weighs differently according to the grade of the wheat.  That is why a sample is taken.  Each sample taken is tested for moisture, foreign material(weed seeds),  and quality.

 

The wheat is then dumped from the hopper on the bottom of the truck into a pit where it will be augured into one of the elevators.

 

 

Once the wheat is sold to the elevators, they then will transfer the wheat to rail cars that will haul the grain to processing plants, exported, or mills to be made into flour.

 

So, the next time you bake a cake or eat a sandwich, just think....this could be some of the Jones' wheat!!

 

Amy

Supper In The Field

This is what we use to eat supper in the field.

Stainless steel stacking plates.

 

It works quiet nicely. 

Each plate is filled with a generous helping for each person and the stacking and the fact that it's metal keeps it warm.

Extra plates are filled with rolls, desserts, silverware, anything you might need.  I also carry a Pyrex take along bag filled with paper plates, cups, salt and pepper, silverware, wash rags...

 

It's amazing how much you can end up taking with you!

 

Then you sit in the shade of the truck and dig in!  I was too busy eating to get any pictures.

 

Amy

 

 

Wheat Harvest

It's here!

 

Hey good lookin'!

 

Please don't run over me!

 

He didn't run over me, but he did dust me!

 

Baby J loves cutting wheat!  He has cried every night when he had to get off the combine.

 

Happy Cuttin'

Amy

 

 

 

 

We Made It!

Well, Wheat harvest is over!

No more dinners in the field.

No more hoping fore hood weather.

Or worrying about breakdowns.

Everything has been cut, and the last load has been hauled to the elevator.

Harvest is over for another year!

Cuttin Seed Wheat

Once the wheat is "the dryer the better", you cut it.

When the combine is full, you dump it into the wheat truck.

Then you drive the truck to the grain bin and get it in position.

You raise the bed on the truck and open the latch.  And let the wheat pour into the auger bucket.

Then, turn on the PTO on the little tractor.  That runs the augar.

The wheat then travels up the augar, where it is dumped into the top of the grain bin.

The wheat will remain there until we sow in the fall!

Love,

The Farmer's Wife

 

Tricky Business

 

Harvesting wheat can be a tricky thing.  The wheat has to be dry, in fact, the dryer the better.  But it definitely can't be to wet.  If it's too wet, the elevator won't take it because it can cause mold and it also lowers the value of the wheat.

But, then again, as soon as it's dry enough, you don't want to wait until it's at "the dryer the better".  You want to get it out and to the elevator as soon as possible! 

Every second the wheat is in the field, it is at the mercy of the weather.  Right now, our harvest is at a standstill.  We got 3 inches of rain on Saturday night, so now our wheat is wet again.  It also makes the field to muddy for our heavy equipment to get in and out. Most generally in a case like ours, the wheat will dry out and be ready to cut before the ground is dry enough.

Rain isn't the only thing to worry about during harvest.  Lightning could catch the field on fire, a hail storm could wipe out the entire crop in one night, or the market can go down.  And the list can go on and on.  So, now you see, when your entire year's income is based on 2 weeks, why it's such an important event to our family.

Just continue to pray that the rest of the bad weather holds off so we can get the rest of our wheat out!

Love, The Farmer's Wife 

Supper Time During Harvest

I love supper time during harvest.

It's the time during the day, when the whole family is able to get together; even if it is for just a few minutes.

Every family is different, but in our family, my mother-in-law and I take turns cooking supper for the whole family.  Then we all meet in the field and eat together while the combine is dumping it's load in the semi.

The meals during harvest are exceptionally good too!

We eat meals like chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, homemade biscuits AND homemade jelly.  And there is always a dessert.  Usually something like Apple pie or cobbler!

It may be a little rushed.  And we may have to battle the elements(ants, flies, wind, dirt) but it's still one of my favorite times!

Even if I gain a few pounds!

Love Amy

Introducing......Harvest!

Yesterday was the first day of harvest!  As you all know I love harvest, and this year is going to be even more fun now that we get to introduce Baby J to the exciting world of Harvest!

He learned that wheat beards tickle...

And that the semi has a LARGE steering wheel!

But most importantly,

He learned about the Combine.

We only made one round with LB yesterday, but he'll have plenty more opportunities in the next few days  for more rides. 

He did so good!  He sat real still and just watched everything that went on!  I have a feeling we have a little farmer on our hands!

Love The Farmer's Wife