When I looked to the north yesterday evening, I saw a wonderful sight! It was the combine!
I went up and took one last look at the field before they began harvesting.
The yield on the first couple of rows is always significantly lower because of the deer.
The combine really is an impressive machine. The corn head has tips that go between the rows.
The cornstalk is cut and the ears are pulled into the head on the little conveyer belt up to the auger where the ears are fed into the combine.
Through some magic of mechanical engineering that I don’t understand, the corn is removed from the cob and fed into the storage hold and the cob is spit out the back end. The combine is dangerous at times though. The warning sign is very serious in it’s message. There’s many a farmer with short fingers that did not heed the warning.
Soon my field will be empty and I’ll know its yield. That’s a bit scary with the drought this year.
So far the fields they’ve done have ranged from 126 – 179 bushels per acre.
Linking to Wordless Wednesday with Project Alicia, Create With Joy, Tina’s Wordless Wednesday, Sarah Halstead, and Live and Love Out Loud.
Teresa
Oct 09, 2012 @ 17:08:45
i’ve always wanted to be a “combine driver” … i think of that song … can’t think of the country singer…. i’ve always enjoyed being around farming folks. lots of them are my good family friends. (:
Oct 09, 2012 @ 17:32:18
It is a great way of life! I’m not sure my nerves can take the uncertainty of harvest though.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 17:50:57
a good sight, for sure. i am hoping yours does well enough, considering…
Oct 09, 2012 @ 17:53:12
It really has looked better and better as its gotten closer to harvest, so I’m confident.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 18:03:47
Interesting series. I like the natural and the mechanical! The processing in the third last and the corn closeup is great! You might like to share your work on Mandarin Orange Monday:)
Oct 09, 2012 @ 18:19:04
So glad you stopped by. I’ll have to check out Mandarin Orange Monday.
Thanks.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 18:34:33
That sounds like a pretty good yield! Yay!
As I was reading this, I was thinking about all the older farmers that I know who are missing parts of their fingers, all because of a corn picker. They are definitely dangerous machines, but oh my, what would we do without them?!
Oct 09, 2012 @ 19:25:23
I have an uncle missing four of his fingers. They do save a lot of manpower, but they deserve respect. I’m happy with how things came out. I’ll post about the yield tomorrow.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 18:47:00
Lovely shots of the cornfield and its bounty.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 19:25:42
Thanks! I’m very relieved now that the harvest is done.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 20:20:35
A little tease on your reply to Alica? Can’t wait to hear the yield!! My favorite in this series is the sixth one down, love the colors and the textures!
By the way, I made the Green Tomato Spice Cake yesterday, YUM-O!! Hubby was a little skeptical at first but after he tasted it, there was no holding him back!
Oct 09, 2012 @ 20:38:27
I made green tomato muffins-based on Theresa’s recipe this weekend and my husband said he wasn’t going to eat them–but I managed to convince him to try them–and ended up having to make a second batch.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 20:48:01
Glad to hear you liked the cake! I couldn’t resist the tease since my blog posts are a day behind the actual events now.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 20:39:24
Combines are impressive machines! I would not want to in the way of one. Love that second photo of the corn and sky.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 20:48:38
It really was a great sky for my last photo shoot in the cornfield this year.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 21:38:19
As someone who knows nothing about corn… is that yield good, bad, or in the middle somewhere?
Oct 09, 2012 @ 21:51:56
The ten year average for my county according to Iowa State University is 182. The cropscan report from the dealer is reporting most yields averaging about 20 bushels/acre lower this year.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 01:27:01
Thank you, that helps me understand the crop picture a bit better
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:42:09
My pleasure.
Oct 09, 2012 @ 23:12:29
What beautiful shots of the impending harvest!
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:41:52
Thank you. It’s always a sight that makes me happy.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 04:10:48
Great set of pictures – I really like the ones with the corn against the sky.
Stewart M – Australia
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:42:32
Me too. That’s why there are several of those.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 04:54:47
Good luck with your yield… I hope the weather has not knocked your numbers too much.
Mollyxxx
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:42:54
I’ll be posting my numbers today!
Oct 10, 2012 @ 05:56:48
wonderful pics! thanks for sharing
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:43:10
Thanks for hosting Wordless Wednesday!
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:47:28
Gorgeous shots! That must be a John Deere. My husband sells John Deere equipment here in NJ (not farm equipment though) – good stuff!
I love the sunset shot.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 06:58:58
It is a Deere! It’s hard to miss that green.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 11:09:10
Beautiful photos. My favorite is the second one. I hope you get a decent harvest despite the drought.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 11:23:55
Thanks. It’s been a tough year for a lot of people, but mine has looked pretty good.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 13:40:02
those are pretty impressive machines that do all that they do…most of the fields around here have already been harvested and a now bare. Glad to hear that your fields were productive in spite of the drought.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 14:04:19
Mine is one of the last ones around here too.
Seems I’m always towards the bottom of the to-do list.
Oct 10, 2012 @ 15:54:33
Your photos are gorgeous! Love the night sky ones!
Oct 10, 2012 @ 19:34:33
Thanks. It really was a pretty night.
Oct 20, 2012 @ 15:00:53
I cannot imagine the hard work I can see that you do from reading through your blog. I am impressed with your multi-talents, too. Thank you for allowing me to find you here on WordPress…
Oct 20, 2012 @ 18:13:44
I do a lot of work on the farm, but I do also have a lot of great help!