Holy Land Visit October 2019

Special Event

Date: October 20

Time:  About 6:00 P.M. Central Standard Time

Sunday began as an overcast, very foggy day on Eagle Avenue, Luana, Iowa.  The corn harvest had begun for the year but this morning it was too moist, however by Noon the stalks were dry enough to commence the harvest.  This was not the corn picking that I had been involved in as a Tender Young Farm Kid in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  By the time evening arrived the harvest had reached a vigorous tempo.   “Dan” the young Farmer who rents My Sister’s 300 acres of Prime Monona Prairie Land had previously invited me to ride along in the Harvester and I was looking forward to that opportunity.  But before that is discussed I must share with you that the rich black top soil in this area is loam that is very productive and the average depth is six feet.  The pictures of the equipment that I share in this discussion were taken on 18 October in a field that had already been harvested.  The first two are of the Harvester which is fitted with an eight row header for the corn harvest.  This header can be removed to also harvest grain such as soybeans and oats which are not planted in rows.  In a more level farm situation in the Middle West it is also possible to have an eighteen row corn header to harvest corn.

As evening approached I took the opportunity to ride in the “buddy” seat in the climate and sound proof operators cab of the Harvester so I ran out to the field where the “corn picking” was being done.

I climbed up the ladder and Dan opened the cab door so that I could enter to an impressive control cab.  I sat down and Dan gave me a brief overview of the machines operation.  I was totally impressed with the quiet cab and the warm climate inside the cab.  While it was still light the 250 bushel on board grain bin quickly filled up and as it did so a warning signal was heard so Dan called the operator of the grain cart to come along side to empty the Harvester.  I turned around and observed the glass wall between me and the bin which displayed a totally filled bin.  It did not take long to empty this so we could continue with the Harvest.  The Grain Cart can hold 1300 bushels of grain and it usually comes alongside the Harvester several times before it is full and needs to also be emptied.  The grain carts have dual offset wheels to allow the cart to also operate in damp/moist fields with a minimum amount of soil compaction.  Once a passage through the field is complete it is possible to unload the Harvester Grain Bin to the Grain Cart “On The Go.”  This saves valuable time when doing the harvest to complete before any Fall Rains or even Snow which can delay or slow down the whole operation. 

I was amazed at the speed of the operation with the eight row header gathering the corn and sending it in to the Harvester where the threshing                                                     

was done.  This involved removing the kernels from the corn cobs and the discharge of the cobs and corn stalks back onto the field to assist in erosion prevention caused by the Winter Winds along with the Rains and the melting Snow of the following Spring.  While were traveling through the field I was able to see the speed of the Harvester, the corn yield in bushels per acre as well as the moisture content of the corn kernels.

Once the “Grain Cart” was full it was pulled to a nearby road or a hard surface Farm Yard to unload onto an 18 wheel semi for transfer to a drying operation.  In this case Dan owned his own drying equipment on the farm he also owns and operates.  Dan’s one Harvester kept one Grain Cart and two 18 wheelers busy when the operation was running smoothly.  Here is a picture of the Grain Cart filling an 18 wheeler.

In summary I was totally impressed with “corn picking” in the “2019” style.  I can recall opening up a field of corn with a team of horses puling a narrow farm wagon with a “bang board” on one side so that when ears of corn were thrown to the wagon that they would land in the wagon.  Then My Uncle could operate his one row John Deere Corn Picker with a wagon behind and the corn harvest was more modern.

As I complete this discussion I must provide additional information about the 2019 style of Harvesting.  One the Sun had set Dan flipped a switch and the total header looked like it operating in day light.  The LED lights on the Harvester could then operate until moisture of the night prevented proper operation.  Dan informed me that he never operates all night for safety concerns.  Many Harvesting Accidents happen when the Farmer over extends himself and his crew, which Dan is very aware of so he never challenges his ability to operate in a safe manner. 

The corn farming process has certainly changed from the days when I was a Kid in the late 1940s and early 1950s when I watched My Uncle and My Dad do the corn harvest and run the cobs of corn up an elevator into corn barn with slats which allowed the corn to dry with the fresh air that Mother Nature provided.

From a two row corn planter to a 16 row planter which Dan uses in his operation, from a one row picker to a Harvester which can do eight rows at a time the progress in improvement of farm operation/s is awesome.  I should also point out that this operation is in Northeast Iowa with gentle terraced fields and that where the fields a more level even larger tilling/planting/harvesting equipment is frequently used. 

This same Harvester with a grain header is used to harvest oats standing in the field.  When I was young we cut the oats and a machine put it into bundles with a machine we called a grain binder.  Seven bundles were then arranged into a shock so the grain could dry.  Then the oats bundles were run through a threshing machine where the kernels were separated from the stalks.  When I was young the threshing machine was powered by a steam engine.    What Memories I am able to share.  I discussed the oats harvest in an earlier Special Memories discussion.

                                                                 

  What Memories I am able to share.  I discussed the oats harvest in an earlier Special Memories discussion.