Corn Harvest 2016

Now that beet harvest is FINALLY over, corn harvest is kicking into gear. While all harvest is somewhat stressful, corn harvest seems much more relaxed after the crazy hours of beet harvest. Beets can only be harvested in optimal temperature. If the weather is too hot or too cold, the piler where the beets are collected shuts down. Corn, though, can be picked in most temperatures as long as the crop is dry and the ground isn't too muddy.

Combine in the field

On our farm, corn harvest also does not require quite as many workers. For beets, we usually have 6 people working harvest; for corn, we can make it with 3 or 4. The main pieces of equipment used for corn harvest are a combine, grain cart, and semis.

First, the combine goes through the field. The corn is planted in straight rows, so the header fits between each row. The header pulls the corn cobs off of the stalk. The cobs are then sent through a threshing drum where the kernels are beaten from the cob and sent by an auger into the grain tank.

Going through the last pass on that section

Once the tank is full, another auger pours the kernels into a grain train. This is one of my favorite parts because it looks like a golden rainbow spilling out. After the grain cart is full, it unloads into a semi.

Grain train unloading into a semi trailer

What happens to the rubbage like the stalks and husks though? They are moved along a conveyor and chopped; then they are spit out of the back. Later, the field will be worked to prepare it for the next season's crop.

A view of the stalks and cobs being sent out

The full semis go either to a personal grain bin or to the company's elevator bin. Here the process is somewhat similar. The semi trailer, full or corn, opens at the bottom to dump the corn. This corn is then used for feed at feedlots.

Checking in at the weigh station

In line at the elevator

Dumping corn at the elevator

Comments

Beet harvest 2016

Sugar beet harvest is a crazy time on our farm with early mornings and late nights. I am at school or at home with the kids for the majority of harvest, so Boots and our truckers were my official photographers. Tractor with Digger & Loaded Trailer Sugar beets are a root crop, so they grow underground. The harvesting process begins with the defoliating tractor which rips the leaves off of the root. Field of beets 1/2 defoliated and 1/2 not yet defoliated Tractor and defoliator Defoliated beet Next, the beet digger uses a two part system to pull the beets up and run them through scrub rollers. These rollers then push the beets back to the elevator chain belt and into the tank. There are also Ferris wheel style diggers that circulate the beets into the tank. Front view of Digger Back view of Digger Ferris wheel style digger When the digger is full, it unloads into a trailer pulled by a semi. We use cage trailers which tip to unload,...

A season to be thankful

Now that Pumpkins and More A-maiz-ing Farm is closed for the season, we seem to have more time on our hands. With extra time, comes reflection. Each year, we try to begin the holiday season by getting into the spirit of kindness and generosity. This year, I decided to start a thankful tree. The process was really quite simple: 1. Get a branch from the yard 2. Find a large vase 3. Strip kernels off Indian corn for filler 4. Cut roughly 100 leaves from construction paper 5. Gather something to hang the leaves (I used fishing wire, but twine or ribbon would work well too) 6. Put the branch in the vase and use the corn to hold it in place Our Thankful Tree - the beginning Now each day, we will write something we are thankful for on a leaf and add it to the tree. By the end of November, our tree will be full and so will our hearts remembering all of the blessings in our lives. What "thankful" traditions have you started with your family? UPDATE: Trying to get caug...

Pumpkin Carving and Seeds

As long as I can remember, I have loved carving pumpkins. Carving pumpkins 1986 Well, truth be known, I just enjoyed digging my hands in the cool, squishy pumpkin goop. I was never one of those kids grossed out by or scared of the orange slime; I loved it! Even now as an adult, my favorite part of pumpkin carving is digging out the "guts." Luckily, all three of the kids also enjoy scooping out the insides. Sadly though, none of us are patient enough to carve the really beautiful, intricate pumpkins that I know some of you are capable of! We are more the jack o'lantern or simple animal style carvers. Each year, I get a spot set on the kitchen floor. I cut the tops off of the pumpkins, put them in the center of the floor with a bowl of water for the seeds, some spoons for digging, and some wet rags; then, I let the kids get to work. Halfway through they got hungry. Luckily, I had a put Chicken and Dumplings in the crock pot, and it was ready ...

Family Farm Fun

Search This Blog