Today is June 6th and we still have not really "started" harvest yet. A few fields have been cut, here and there, but not much. And if you know a farmer, you're probably familiar with that first day of harvest mood they have. Part excited, part nervous, part payday!, part hurry the hell up-let's go,let's go, LET'S GO!
Well we definitely haven't had that. My birthday is June 30th and normally is right in the middle of harvest, in fact 2 years ago, we were completely done with harvest at least a week before my birthday. I'm pretty sure this is a first for most everyone in the area that harvest is this late. Here in North Central Kansas, we experienced a drought during the spring months and then a very late freeze, followed up by lots of moisture. So, as I understand it (which....doesn't mean much) the wheat went from looking horrible - some wasn't even worth cutting, to having a some late heads coming in, but that meant there is still a lot of green out there, which puts your moisture high, and with all the rain the weeds are now getting bad, which also jacks up the moisture. So, the fields are producing more wheat than we first thought, but it's not easy cutting. They are waiting to let the green stuff ripen, but then the weeds are getting worse, so then do they spray?
Have you ever seen a frustrated farmer, playing the waiting game on your couch? It's not a pretty sight. He can't even enjoy the extra time at home because his brain is constantly going - well maybe those 20 acres are ready, but what if it's not? Do we need to take this wheat to the elevator or put it in the drying bin? When is the latest I can put my double crop beans in? Should I have sprayed that? Should we try again tomorrow or wait til the day after that?
But hopefully we can get started tomorrow (or maybe the day after that- ha!) and get this thing over with. We love ya harvest, you pay our bills, but it's time to go!
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