Saturday, August 20, 2022

The combines came out of the big shed this week to be washed up and converted internally from wheat set-up to corn/soybean set-up.   The platforms (the detachable front-end equipment on a combine, that does the gathering of the crop and feeds it into the combine’s threshing system) were also cleaned and set up for soybeans.   The corn headers will come out next week.  Trucks will come out, too, when it’s their turn.

Some pictures from the work this week.

The JD S780 combine was washed, it’s first cleaning since wheat harvest. It didn’t get very dirty while we were cutting wheat. It certainly was NOT muddy during that week.

The JD equipment screens  had to have their Fall ’22 updates. These software updates download over-the-air, and then install automatically. Some updates take about 10 minutes, these took about 40 minutes.

Seemed like the 780 cleaned up this summer  better than ever. The body panels shine like new.  Maybe it is now #Andyclean!

The JD RD40F header did not require much to get it ready. It was new in 2021. It got a good wash, though.

Here are some of the internal devices that had to be removed from the JD combine after wheat harvest.  The curved grilles are concave inserts, and the green panels on the ledge are separator grate covers. Those improve the threshing quality in wheat, but are not needed for soybean or corn harvest.

I was also able to ‘catch up’ on the roadside and waterway mowing.   I don’t expect to do any more of that task until the NTU (new-to-us) JD 6145R tractor shows up early in September.

Mowing at the Lett farm on Thursday morning.  This 4-acre hillside is so very steep, we just keep it in a grass cover, and mow it once or twice a year.

***

We move methodically toward #harvest22.  It will of course be our first fall without Ross as the field general.  I think we can expect some hiccups as we all settle in to new roles and responsibilities.  Wheat harvest went just fine, but fall harvest is much more complicated, with necessary grain deliveries to market at the same time we are bringing in crops from the fields.  Added in there is about a week of work in late September to get the 2023 wheat crop planted.   If we keep a proper spirit of cooperation, I am confident we will make it through this harvest, too.   Let’s pray that the weather provides favorable conditions for the fall!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.