Sunday, September 17, 2017
Even though the mornings were foggy, the guys worked in the soybean field Friday and Saturday, using the warm and sunny days to good advantage. The combines seem to be working well. The going is slower in some fields — those that have strips and patches of replanted soybeans to cut around. Yields have been all over the map, with disappointing results in some places, and happy results in others. So far it seems like the steeper, thinner soils are finding it difficult to keep pace with those places in the field where the soil is better.
Just outside my front door on Friday, John cuts soybeans with the JD S680 combine.
They guys’ work is going well without me being with them for a few days. I felt crummy last weekend and early last week. So I gave up, and visited the doctor on Wednesday, discovering I have pneumonia. I’m house-bound for a few days, taking strong medicines and 4x/day breathing treatments. My hope is to get back out there soon, even if I must wear a mask. Will know more after visiting the doctor again tomorrow.
I think John has enjoyed his time running the combine. He even had his assistant Ella with him yesterday. I remember those days years ago, when I’d have one of the boys by my side or in my lap, ‘driving’ the combine. That is a certain pleasure for a dad.
Today’s sun is brilliant, and the temperatures are near 90F, just a tick above average. The heat is welcome, for we’ve had several days below average temperatures. Well, cooler is quite comfortable for people, but not as conducive to reducing moisture in the corn as it stands in the fields.
We are just in the beginning stages of #harvest17, so we anticipate the gathering in of the corn and soybeans. Soon, we will be planting our 2018 SRW (soft red winter) wheat — and that should start late this month. Also, CPS will begin the soil testing and fertilizer applications that will commence the operations for the 2018 corn and soybeans. By the end of October, we will be making decisions about our seed variety and hybrid purchases. So, in many ways, the focus cannot be singularly on the work of the combines, but also on the many other facets of grain production. Communication and coordination and consultation are critical at this time of year. We will all be especially immersed for many weeks in giving our full attention to the farm’s needs, to close out field work for 2017 and open the important decisions for 2018.
Have a great week, everyone.
