Today, I am loading the USB (JD) and flash card (CIH) with the proper information for harvest.  Each combine’s GPS system will have each farm and field name loaded in, along with the corn hybrid numbers and the soybean variety numbers.  That way, when we pull into a field to begin harvest, the operators can just choose the information they need from a drop-down menu.  On the John Deere, it ‘reads’ the planting information from the JD soybean planter, so it already knows what is planted in the soybean fields.  And, if there is more than one variety planted in a particular field, it knows from the planter’s recorded information which variety is planted where in the field.  For corn, both combines have to have the variety information entered by the operator.

Ross has tested some corn samples recently for moisture content.  The samples range from 27 to 35% moisture.  We prefer the corn’s moisture content to be 25% or less to begin harvest.  Ideally, it will be 22% or less.  Last fall, with the drought that hit through August, all our corn was harvested at or below the target moisture level of 15%… with some as low as 11%!   That was an unprecedented harvest!   This fall, we expect to use the grain dryer (at least in the early days of corn harvest), which takes the corn from its harvest moisture and dries it down to 15%.   We have no soybeans currently ready for harvest.  Those must be dry in the field before harvest, with a 13% moisture level.

Servicing of trucks will be started today also.  I have called the business in Evansville that picks up our used oil for recycling.  Our used oil barrels are almost all full, and we need some space for the oil that will soon be drained from the truck and combine engines.

John and Philip have mowed the farmstead areas this morning.  They’ll get trucks into the shop this afternoon.  The pace is picking up again, as we anticipate bringing in the corn and soybeans!