Harvesting Soybeans

It’s that time of year again. Harland started harvesting the beans late last week, and has been at it every day since. ( To see when they were planted back in the spring, click here)  He starts early in the morning and keeps at it until about 9pm at night. Then he comes in, has supper, showers, checks his email, and falls over into bed. In the AM, he has his breakfast, and a quick goodbye and “BE CAREFUL” from me, and he’s headed back to the field.

The hours are long, dusty, and stressful, but the view is nice.

Here he empties his load into a grain truck. Bill, our neighbor, a retired farmer, helps out a great deal by driving the truck to the elevator in town to unload, and then bring it back empty for Harland to fill again.

Here Harland comes, dust flying. It’s been very dry here lately, which is good for harvest, but bad for allergies.

The bean plants are cut off at almost ground level and drawn into the combine where the beans are removed from the pods and stored in the hopper, while the empty pods and plants are shredded and shot out the back of the combine where they will eventually rot, providing nutrients for future crops.

The sun sets, and the day ends.

The moon rises. But Harland keeps going.

—–>  Come back tomorrow to join in the harvest on VIDEO:   From riding in the combine, to hanging off the side of the grain truck while he unloads the beans into the truck. See and hear all the action – up close.

~~~~~~~~~~ W ~~~~~~~~~~~

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Suzanne

Cattle, corn, wheat, beans, mud, snow, ice, and drought. Plenty of fresh air and quiet. Our life is sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes joyous, but never boring.

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19 Responses

  1. Glenda says:

    I checked on the price of beans on Monday and they were fetching a good price at the time. Do you store yours or does he sell them when they get unloaded? I know some farmers sell on the futures market as well. All a bit confusing to me.
    Can’t wait until tomorrows’ post. You hanging from the side of the truck? You need a safety belt for some of your photo gigs!

    • Suzanne says:

      A bit confusing to me too. I think all the beans are going to the elevator and will be sold from there later. Thanks Glenda.

  2. Tina says:

    Very interesting. Poor Harland, those are tough hours. I can’t wait for tomorrow, love it. Love your view of that big prairie sky.

  3. Sally Bishop says:

    Is this a family farm or did your husband start farming as an adult? The family dairy farms, where I’m from, are consolidating or selling out to conglomerates. The family farm is becoming a thing of the past.

    • Suzanne says:

      Harland farms the family farm which he’s been working since his teens. It’s a sad thing to look around our area and see fewer and fewer family farms around.

  4. Kit says:

    Tell Harland that we send him a big “THANK YOU” for being a soybean farmer. We’re big eaters of tofu, drink lots of soy milk, and eat many, MANY meat alternative products made with soy. If it weren’t for farmers like Harland we wouldn’t have all the wonderful dietary options that we do. We appreciate his hard work!

  5. Darlene says:

    I love to see the farmers taking in their crops. John Deere looks good out there.

  6. Evelyn says:

    I had forgotten how fuzzy the pods were until I saw your pictures! Harland’s hours remind me of the hours the cotton farmers put in around here during stripping season; except there isn’t any cotton this season unless one used irrigation. Some experts are saying the drought here in Texas could last well into next year.

    • Suzanne says:

      I’m so sorry about the drought there. It just must be so heartbreaking for everyone there. I hope the experts are wrong and you get a better summer next year.

    • Kit says:

      Evelyn, we’re in Austin and things here are bad. I read the state climatologist’s report coming out of A&M and he said this drought could last until 2020.

  7. Becky L. says:

    Loved the photos and it brings back memories of the harvest when we were on the farm. Thanks for sharing. Come visit my blog to see a story about my man’s hands. I think you might like it as I had you and Ree in mind when I wrote it. Hugs and look forward to the next chapter of soybean harvest.

  8. Teresa says:

    Farmers are well into harvest here too. We’ve been so dry the beans are almost too dry and farmers are getting docked. We’ve also had a lot of fires around here. Mine will be harvested this weekend. Hope things go well for Harland!

  9. beaverbelle says:

    These are some of your most stunning pictures! All of the colors are beautiful. We are bailing corn stalks and finishing the last field of wheat planting. If we don’t have rain soon we will be selling cattle. Love your blog.

    • Suzanne says:

      Thank you!
      So sorry about the drought there. I hope the experts are wrong, and you get all the rain you need soon.

  10. Jeannelle says:

    Great photos! They make soybean harvesting look like a beautiful occasion!

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