Harvest season has officially begun in Southeast Iowa with unusually dry conditions causing corn to dry down faster than expected. We share our experiences with equipment preparations, plot tour takeaways, and our approach to maintaining balance during this busy time.
• Currently harvesting corn at surprisingly low moisture levels in mid-September
• Field conditions are very dry with minimal rain in the forecast
• Successfully resolved equipment issues including dryer setup and installed new Calmer stock rolls
• Attended Chris Wilson's "A Better Way to Farm" plot tour with valuable insights for our operation
• Planning to test new practices including stock degraders containing sugar and thiosol
• Taking a different approach to harvest breaks this year while still prioritizing family time
• Getting our daughter involved with grain cart operations for the first time
• Yields are decent though not matching last year's numbers
• Disease pressure affecting stalk quality requires timely harvest
Go out and find us on all of the socials at Farmers Greatest Asset. Send us a message. We like hearing from all of our listeners. If you have anything you want to hear from us about or have suggestions, please let us know at FarmersGreatestasset@gmail.com or message us on any platforms.
Episode Transcript
the farmer's greatest asset podcast.
We believe the farm's greatestasset is the farmer, their
knowledge, knowledge, experience, mind and health.
Well, welcome to the podcast.
(00:39):
I'm Jesse.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
And I'm Dr Leah.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
A little coffee on the porch this morning as I am
getting over a cold.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And I think I am catching it, yeah, so sorry for
the voice.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I'm very baritone.
At the morning I could singsome baritone music.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Maybe we should try that.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
I don't know if you want me to.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
I know know.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
so we left you last week, uh, in the middle of farm
wives club update, um, so we'regonna kind of leave you hanging
and leah will come back at adifferent episode with some more
updates on that.
So here today we are literallyin the middle of harvest.
Harvest hasvest has started andit is basically full on harvest
(01:27):
, and it's only September 17thand they're still talking high
in the 80s.
For the next 10 days there weresome chances of rain.
They just keep pulling thoseout.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Well, and it's kind of just gone around us,
unfortunately for us.
I mean, the people to the north, north of us, have been getting
a little bit straight west.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Of us got a little bit the beans.
Some beans could still benefitfrom a rain shower, but it is
what it is.
Things are drying fast, theground is dry, everything is dry
, so we have gotten all the bugsworked out, I think.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
Good, it only took a week.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So we've got the dryer.
I think squared away we shouldbe pumping along on that Minor
tractor issues.
The tractor is running now.
Combine has been plugging rightalong the whole time.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
And you've got some new rollers or I'm probably
using the wrong word that you'vebeen happy with.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
We put new stock rolls on the corn head.
They are Calmer stock rolls andthey are working just as they
should.
They do a really nice job.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
It does make it a little bit noisier in the cab.
You and I have both noticedwhen I've come out to ride with
you.
But it seems to be workinggreat.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
It's chopping up the corn stalks a lot better than
just the OEM corn stalk rolls,which is what I want.
So yields are okay.
They're not as good as lastyear but they're okay.
So the things are drying fast.
(03:27):
We got into some 18% corn acouple days ago and I think that
was basically because fungicide.
We got fungicide on but it wastiming, I think was too late.
So the corn was still stilldecent, pretty good.
But I saw somebody snapped theother day.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Yesterday somebody was in 14 corn oh, september,
they like in the midwest here,here, keith snapped it.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
I don't know who he was riding with, but he said 14%
moisture.
Wow, Somebody else snapped apicture in line at an elevator
already and it said it's way tooearly for this.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
That's how dry the corn is.
They're taking it straight totown.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
Wow.
It's an unusual year yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Stock quality is going to get bad.
There's disease out there.
We've got it.
It's not terrible, but thestock quality is going to go in
a hurry.
And maybe this is people dryingcorn, but I think it's just
(04:45):
people hauling straight out ofthe field.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
Yeah, and they might be taking a little discount, but
it might not be 15.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Point is is they're already at the elevator?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
I know.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Elevators are going to be full quick.
So it is what it is.
Beans haven't started.
We actually did have a neighbordo some beans the other day.
I heard they were short seasonstuff.
I didn't ask moisture yield oranything, but so it is a full go
, full send in southeast Iowa.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So we did have our date night to.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
My days are running together.
At this point.
It was.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Saturday what did we do.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
We went to Chris Wilson's plot tour.
Speaker 2 (05:41):
I was like trying to think of plot tour.
Oh, my goodness, my brain isnot awake yet this morning.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
We went to Chris Wilson's A Better Way to Farm
plot tour.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
So key takeaways for you.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
We need to spray, basically a stock degrader, and
one of those key components init is sugar.
We have some sugar left over,so we're going to use that, and
some thiosol and there'ssomething else.
I need to ask them what it was,but we're gonna do that um are
we so?
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I've been thinking about that too, and, like I
think we should do, like halfand half of fields.
Is that your plan?
Speaker 1 (06:19):
We're going to test it for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Yep, we're changing our nitrogen program, so this
will be interesting.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Yeah yeah, we got to talk to a few farmers that are
veterans in A Better Way to Farmand got some good insights.
So we'll be testing out some oftheir practices and see how
that works on our farm and howwe are going to evolve that for
us.
So, it's good to get togetherwith other farmers and hear how
(06:54):
they are making some small orlarge changes in their farming
operation to improve theirbottom line and also make their
fields healthier.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
So thanks Chris for having us and Rod Livesey for
being there.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Entertainment, as always he is.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
It's good.
There are a lot of keytakeaways.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Those were the really big ones.
It was good.
I was glad to go with you so wecould spend a little time
together.
You weren't feeling great.
Your cold was pretty muchhardcore that day, but we made
the trip over there and it waswonderful.
Other than that, what's theplan for the next week?
(07:41):
combine some corn that's rightit is time, time to go and this
year for me, I am taking somepressure off.
Last year we did the Chucktruck and it was awesome.
We are not doing breaks thisyear like we did last year to
(08:04):
stop and picnic because of stockquality and that type of thing,
but I have been riding alongwith you so you and I can get a
little bit more time, which hasbeen good.
We have some friends come innext week to do harvest camp, so
we'll take some more time whenthey're here.
But, like with all farmingpractices, we're having to
(08:28):
evolve what we're doing and takebreaks when we can.
And the best thing, I think, isthat you have still been coming
home early, not staying outthere all night I am taking my
own advice and trying to notpush, just push through.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
So in the end it is, it is worth it to slow down a
little bit.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Yeah, it's been good.
I think we've all needed it too.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
This year.
We're going to get Lucy outthere in the grain cart.
She has been resistant to it,but we're going to get her out
there Because I actually thinkshe'll like doing it.
I do too, we doing it, I do too.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
We need to start that maybe today.
Very good, that'll be fantastic.
We'll get her out there.
It's a good field for her tolearn in.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
The field has already started.
It's 160 acres.
We're 50 acres into the field,so it's wide open.
Okay, that's the best place tolearn to drive that big monster.
Have a grain cart and be ableto just spin circles and go yeah
.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
And Henry's a really good teacher, but it'll be
interesting to see how heteaches her and how she takes
his teaching.
Maybe Henry will be driving thecombine for a little bit.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
He might be, because he's got the cold that I've got
and he's not handling the coldvery well, so his patience is
thin.
Lucy's patience will get tested, so I asked her the.
I said who do you want to teachyou?
And she said both.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Oh good.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
But I think it'll probably start out with me and
the tractor, with her and Henryand the combine.
But we shall see.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think it's exciting .
I love to see that our girlsare going to get out there and
try it and do it.
We're going to get her outthere.
I can just see how this isgoing to go.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
I think it's going to get out there and try it and do
it.
We're going to get her outthere.
I can just see how this isgoing to go.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
I think it's going to be great.
I think initially she's goingto be nervous, because you know
she is wanting to please peopleand do a good job and expect
perfection the first time aroundand after she overcomes that, I
think I think it'll be good.
She really does like to drive,so right.
(11:04):
And I'll get her out of thehouse.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
What I mean.
I can see how this is going togo.
It's going to be she's going tobe nervous because it's a large
grain cart, uh.
But then all of a sudden it'sgonna be like oh, large grain
cart, uh.
But then all of a sudden it'sgonna be like oh okay, get out
of here.
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Bye, yeah, yeah, that'll be great I like this.
Yeah, I'm cool with this andmom's gonna bring me meals and I
can just sit here and bepampered like like henry gets to
be in the grain cart yeah, so Iwould be good with stopping to
have the chuck truck again oh,okay, I guess I felt and that
(11:44):
was probably my perception likeI just felt like we gotta go
because of stock quality and youat the moment.
Stock quality is fine at themoment sure, but I guess my, my
concern is you know, the more weget this out, the beans will be
ready.
So yeah, I don't know thattoday's going to be the day I am
going to bring a hot meal outfor lunch.
(12:06):
I have things today, but we'llsee.
I'm trying to relax on myselfand try not to focus so much on
just producing and taking mytime with things.
And it's been good because I'vegotten I've just stopped to
(12:26):
take more rides with you, andit's been good for for me to
spend more time with you rightnow.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
So, yeah, yeah, it's just been one of those that
we're jumping in and it's all ofa sudden dry and it is what it
is.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
If you'll stop and eat lunch with us, it becomes so
much easier, because there'snot many things that you can eat
in the combine without you knowif you don't stop.
But if you stop and eat, thenit's like I can, you know, make
something easier.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Well, also, we've been going for what a week, yeah
, and we seriously haven't had aday where we're not trying to
figure something out, whetherit's the dryer or the tractor or
something.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
So we have that all figured out now lucy's gonna
have to figure out green cartdriving right, thanks.
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Thanks for listening.
The message for me today is goout there and enjoy harvest, but
be safe.
You don't always have to pushit If you haven't started
harvest, but you're startingsoon.
Just enjoy it.
This is my favorite time ofyear, so be safe.
Speaker 2 (13:36):
My takeaway is try to find the joy in the every day,
because this is what we on thefarm live for, and happiness and
joy is a choice.
So if you aren't looking for it, you won't find it you find
what you're looking for.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Again, thanks for listening.
Go out and find us on all ofthe socials.
Speaker 2 (14:01):
At Farmers Greatest Asset.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Send us a message.
We like hearing from all of ourlisteners.
If you have anything you wantto hear from us about or have
suggestions, please let us knowat FarmersGreatestasset at
gmailcom.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Or you can message us on any of the platforms as well
.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Absolutely.
It's a good day.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Have a great day, bye .
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