final harvest pictures

There it is, the end. The last 6 rows as the water towers of Farmington loom on the horizon. We finally finished about 2 pm tuesday. 40 days of harvest. It is good to be finished. Even more so looking at the weather forecast. Lots of work yet to be done but having the crop out is a great feeling. Lots of crops to harvest around us. Corn is fially getting dry but anyone hauling corn to town is sitting in line as the elevators are swamped.

It takes alot of help to get all of this done and I could never take credit for getting it done myself. Like any well oiled machine, our operation has alot of parts, and they are all very important.


This is Cliff, master combine operator, semi professional bass fisherman and the reason I am farming.


Travis is a professional fireman in Monmouth IL. He works 24 on and 48 off. He spends most of that 48 doing whatever I need him to do around the farm. He has helped us around the farm for several years now. Judging by the picture, I would say he is having a good time.


Nick writes tech. manuals for Caterpillar. When he isnt doing that he is somewhere around the farm helping out and working on things that get neglected because of harvest. He drives the combine for me when Cliff takes off on a fishing trip and has saved me alot of time because he has done my cattle chores every afternoon this fall so I didnt have to.


Nathan and his brother Ryan are contractors here at Farmington. They are always happy to lend a hand on the weekend or late in the day to help get things wrapped up. Whether I just need a ride somewhere or a couple of wagons moved or I'm stuck again and need pulled out, they are only a phone call away.


Akron Services Inc. of Brimfield and Edelstein. I wonder how we would ever get done without them hauling dry corn away from the bins all the time. They have a fleet of trucks and they hire a bunch of other trucks to haul also. Has to be the best group of people I have ever worked with, from top to bottom a absolute class operation.


Last but not least wrigley. Even when things are at there worst or I am dead tired he can make me smile. I took this picture because everytime I go up on the grain bins he sits at the bottom and waits for my return. Maybe next year I will teach him to go up and check on things!

Neat pics. reminds me of wheat harvest here in Oklahoma. Is that a 1256 or a 1456?

Very nice photos. A good break from all the political bitter talk. It is nice to see the people behind the machines, with names, thank you, Paul

Glad to see you GOT R DONE - Going to miss the pictures though. I was out past Farmington last Saturday and was really suprised how much corn, as well as some beans, were still left to be harvested for the first of November.

Jim

Great pics. as usual. It's always a relief to have things "wrapped up"...........there's no way to put a value on good help! Especially the moral support from Wrigley!

Like Paul said, this is a much welcomed break from the petty political bickering.............

Wonderful pics! I really enjoy it when ya"ll post pics.

I'm pretty sure I have seen Akron up here in South Bend at our ethanol plant (New Energy). Always enjoy the pictures... soon as I have enough time I have some to post too.

Thanks for the great photos.

Always enjoy the pictures that you share with us.

Be sure to pet Wrigley and tell him he's a good dog.

Well Bill I bet you are glad to be done, weather looks like it might turn for the worst here soon. I would say dad is about 300 acres from being done, but we both know how slow he is. I'm sure he is reading this. We are done here outside of a few stranglers. Should be back this weekend to help if I can get there. Looking forward to doing some dog chasing in the woods here real soon. Keep me updated on how you guys do.

Really Enjoyed seeing your photos' will be sorry to see thats the last one, or at least for a couple hundred or so nights. rest up!

We don't have any of those kind of pictures here in the Northeast. Looks nice and thanks for sharing. Good to see how the rest of the country works.

Bill, Thanks for the pictures! I really like the ones of your dog! He's not spoiled or anything is he? Greg

sounds like you got a durned good crew! wanna bring them over here?! naw i ain't got much corn to combine. still too wet anyways
DF in WI

I am soooo happy to be done. Sounds like many elevators closed before noon today, too much wet corn for anyone to handle. On the way to go hunting saw your dad unloading at the bins where johnny used to live. I think there are alot of guys with more to do than your dad just looking around. We went hunting at 6pm and had 2 in the same tree before 6:20. We will be hitting the woods as much as possible so if you get back holler at one of us.
bill

Tuesday morning I was standing on a hill in a cow pasture staring down into a creek bottom watching a small group of cows and their calves grazing when the sun came up. I was back there this morning, everything was the same. The sun came up, the cows and calves were still there, it was another nice morning. I think people loose perspective about what really matters. Life is to short to waste fighting about politics.
bill

I passed this thread over a couple of times but this morning had a look. Glad I did.
Great photos.
Great post!

Yeah, dad has done pretty good this year, with uncle Dave and my sister helping he has got alot done. Didn't hurt anything having more beans than corn either. Sounds like coon season got off to a good start. I may look you guys up Sat. night.