Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

                         Although we are happy to report that the last semi- truck load

                                     of wheat left the field to find its way to market, 

                                        the wheat harvest continues with the baling

                                                of the wheat straw left in the fields.

                                     

                               Baling the straw is much like baling hay except for the need  

                              to dry the straw.  It was raked into windrows and  baled

                              into large  round bales.  Straw is great to use as bedding in

                               the calf   hutches  or to roll out for cows to lay on when 

                                                        winter conditions occur.

                                      

Even though the early spring rains changed our plans for 

this year's wheat crop , I am thankful that we did have

a crop that can be used to care for our  dairy cows in ways that 

we hadn't planned and for the family and friends that 

have made harvesting the wheat a possibility.

                               

                                   

Wheat Harvest Saga

Our wheat harvest this year has become a saga--

a long, involved story of the wheat crop that 

was intended for spring harvest. 

Our plan was to chop the wheat when it was green and make

 silage for the dairy cows to enjoy eating. 

   Mother Nature provided a change in our plans when we

 experienced rain and cooler temperatures during the

 time we should have been in the fields harvesting the crop.

As the green wheat matured, it was decided that a new plan would

be necessary due to the decreased quality for silage making.

Spring harvest turned into summer harvest of a grain crop.

A trip to the field  verified the grain was ready for the combine

to begin harvesting the wheat.

Harvesting a grain crop requires planning, organization, and

determination to get the job done. 

Once the combine begins the job of cutting the grain,

a cart must be ready to receive the grain when the combine is full.

It was a little like a Chinese fire drill with carts of grain

moving back and forth to the farm to be unloaded.

The final step in our harvest is to load the wheat onto the truck 

for  hauling. This truck load will be sold on the grain market.

                               

                              Our wheat harvest  saga  will continue for several more days

                   as we move from field to field harvesting that beautiful golden  grain.  

                           If you get behind a slow moving grain cart or you meet one

                          on the road, give them a friendly wave and be a positive part

                                   of the hard working farmer's wheat harvest saga!

                                      

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Our "rain, rain go away" chant  just didn't work!

For at least three weeks we have been hoping to see the

custom chopper pull into the fields for the spring harvest 

of our wheat crop but when the fields were too water logged

 for chopping it was decided that we would be cutting,

 baling and wrapping this wheat crop.

Harvest began today with the cutting of the first wheat field.

Hattie and Breck became part of the harvest crew. 

Their smiles during the tractor ride definitely provided the sunshine today!

I'm thankful for the wheat crop that is still able to be harvested

and used  to feed our cows and calves

and

                                       for the forever flexible farmers that never give up!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

There's no other month quite like May down on the dairy farm.

All of a sudden, everything  needs to be done at once.

Everything includes not only milking twice a day and caring for 

our cows,heifers and calves but also hay cutting,wheat harvesting

 and corn planting.

Our feeling of being out of control happens every year but

                                        as crazy as it sounds, I still love the month of May.

I'm thankful for the new calves that are being born almost on a daily schedule,

for the smell of the first cutting of hay,

             

and 

for the appearance of the old fashioned flowers that 

brighten the landscape as we work down on the dairy farm.

                                                                                       

Happy May!