Anyone farming Sunflowers?

relaurain · Sep 27, 2009

If you grow sunflowers, what do you harvest them with? Combine with row crop head? Modifications?

Bill(Wis) · Sep 27, 2009

If you have an interest in raising them you should join the Soybean Association. That will answer a lot of your questions which, if you get into this, will be more numerous than time or space here will allow. In answer, sort of, there are equipment manufacturers who design and sell special equipment to mount on your combine.

Bill(Wis) · Sep 27, 2009

Sorry, I meant to say the Sunflower Association. I have soybeans on the mind. They put out a magazine with lots of info and ads for special equipment. I was all hot to trot with sunflowers until I learned a little bit about them. Abandoned the idea and never looked back, but, someone has to raise them. At any rate, I paid for a membership, 0ne year I think. That was 12 years ago and they still send me their magazine.

Bob · Sep 27, 2009

I haven't raised them since '97, but here's how I USED to harvest them...

<img src = "http://ndtc3500.stellarnet.com/~blweltin/Bob/Massey760.jpg">

20' straight head with pans and a reel. Worked pretty well.

ken in texas · Sep 27, 2009

Have seen several fields of sunflower around Plainview Texas.I used to grow castor beans at plainview.Anybody else ever plant castor beans????

El Toro · Sep 27, 2009

Here's 600 acres in NE Maryland. They planted sunflowers after the wheat was combined. Hal
PS: They said they hoped to get 1000 pounds per acre in Dec when they harvest them.

Bob · Sep 27, 2009

Only a half-ton per acre???

Goose · Sep 27, 2009

The fellow whe leases our farmland tried them once and gave it up.

He says they tear he11 out of a combine when you harvest them.

Bob · Sep 27, 2009

WHAT part of the combine did he say 'flowers tear up?

They're rough on tires and can catch the combine on fire if it's really dray, but outside of that, I can't think of anything on the combine they "tear up".

Ole Shovel · Sep 28, 2009

Do a google search for "sunflower harvesting attachments" and many come up...

http://www.sunflowernsa.com/magazine/details.asp?ID=542

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/rowcrops/eb25w-9.htm
Sunflower Assoc. Magazine Harvest Attachments

El Toro · Sep 28, 2009

That's what the article said in the paper. Hal

Anonymous-0 · Sep 28, 2009

That is pretty much what they use to combine them here in Manitoba. More often then not there is snow on the ground. Usually sold direct to market, though.

TimWafer · Sep 29, 2009

(quoted from post at 03:20:20 09/28/09) If you grow sunflowers, what do you harvest them with? Combine with row crop head? Modifications?

Here is how I did it last year with an old AC model 72. I planted a couple acres last year to try it out. This year I planted about 10 acres.
I made some permanent sunflower pans for this year and got rid of the wooden ones you see here. Also did some mods to the reel as well. I will post some pictures if it ever stops raining and I can get to harvest them. That is if the deer and Turkeys have left anything by then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3LbtwamIY0 http://timwafer.com/[/url]

TimWafer · Sep 30, 2009

Try Again
TimWafer.com

try again
<object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d3LbtwamIY0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/d3LbtwamIY0&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object>

Anyone farming Sunflowers?

relaurain

Member

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

Bill(Wis)

Well-known Member

Bob

Well-known Member

ken in texas

Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

Bob

Well-known Member

Goose

Well-known Member

Bob

Well-known Member

Ole Shovel

Member

El Toro

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

TimWafer

Member

TimWafer

Member

Similar threads