Corn Harvest 101

Harvest rolls on. We had a few days break between silage harvest and high moisture corn harvest. Let me explain the difference. In silage we use a chopper to cut the entire corn plant, cob and all, into 1/2" pieces. It is done when the plant/cob are at about 70% moisture. In high moisture, a grain combine is used to collect only the kernels. It is done when the corn is much drier, at about 30% moisture.

Chopping

The chopper has knives that chop the corn. There is a kernel processor in the chopper that crushes the kernels so that it is more digestable for the cattle. Innoculant, a fermentation catalyst, is also applied through the chopper. Then the silage is hauled to either a pit or bag for storage. We use semi-trucks with special trailers that allow us to carry roughly 25 tons at a time and unload in about one and a half minutes. In this photo from the archives you can see the texture of the corn silage.

Oxygen causes spoilage, so you try to eliminate as much as you can for storage. When packing, you driving back and forth with an extremely large and heavy tractor that compresses the silage and reduces air pockets. When bagging, the silage is fed into a giant plastic tube eliminating oxygen. Pictured here is the bagger. Trucks dump the silage into the green table on front. High Moisture

The combine has a specialized header just for corn. It plucks the cob off the plant and sends it through the combine to be thrashed. As you can see, you are left with only the yellow corn.

A grain cart helps to transfer the corn from the combine once the hopper is full. While driving, corn is augered from the combine to the cart. The cart then takes it to the truck, so the combine can keep harvesting without having to stop.The trucks carry the corn 40 miles to a feedlot. There the corn is milled and stored to be fed to cattle.


In total we run 2 choppers, 7 trucks, 2 pack tractors, a bagger, combine, and grain cart. It takes a lot of horsepower and man power to run a full crew. Our harvest lasts nearly a month and a half.

Happy Fall

We have been enjoying this beautiful fall weather. It's like no fall I remember. We usually go straight from summer to winter. But not this year. The autumn mornings are brisk, but the afternoons are warm a pleasant before slipping away behind a golden sunset. We have been spending most of our time outside before we're forced inside from the weather.

We've been enjoying fresh cut flowers from our garden (still!?)


There has been no shortage of popsicle eating (gratefully accepted by a teething Ruby.) And even Bran Flakes on the front porch. I'm totally excited my children have discovered them as a snack. I totally remember eating bowlfuls as a kid.
We have gone on nature walks along the river and thrown rocks numerous times. I really am surprised that my kinds haven't diverted the natural flow with all the rocks they throw. It's a favorite pastime.

Blessed

I am a visual blogger. I usually blog when I have a decent picture to share. But lately there have been too many thoughts rolling around in my head and not enough pictures. Not because I haven't been taking pictures. They just don't seem to capture my feelings. Feelings of my life: happiness, discouragement, love, and gratitude.

I tend to be too hard on myself. Harvest is crazy, and a bit frenzied at times. A time when I feel a bit out of control. There is the garden harvest and canning to be done. Corn harvest and break downs and meals to fix and holes that need filled in the crew. Children that practice patience, but only for so long. Sometimes it's just hard to be needed . . . that much.

Despite the chaos, there are moments when I feel profound joy and happpiness for our lifestyle. Like at the end of the day, as the sun is setting behind the corn fields and I marvel at the beautiful fall. An extension of summer really and answer to our prayers, where our corn was able to grow and mature. And there are moments when my dirty urchin children run to take lunch and hugs to their dad in the field. And sitting down to a meal that we have grown entirely on our own. Or looking into the heavens and seeing the stars sparkle in the crisp black sky with no regard to light pollution. I feel all too lucky. Too lucky to even call it luck, I feel blessed.

Blessed with family, blessed with health, blessed with our lifestyle and the simple things in life. Blessed with my testimony and blessed with the beauties of the earth. It's hard to capture that in a picture.

Burning Daylight

Each day is a race to see how much we can get done before it gets dark.

Hitches

It seems that someone at our house is obsessed with hitches. He often points them out while driving around and comments on "nice" hitches. As a matter of fact, I found both him and Dalanie squatted down admiring the new shiny ball on my 4 wheeler one day. He has recently bolted a hitch on his little red wagon and was trying to upgrade a hitch on his toy semi.

He approached me with his proposal and recommended some super glue. He left it in my hands and I got the new fifth wheel plate glued into place. Once it was dry, he took it upstairs to his farm to try it out. "It works awesome!" He bragged it up to his Dad during lunch in the chopper.

On the way home I asked if he knew that mechanics needed paid. I told him it would probably cost $30, or maybe he could just pay me in kisses. After another play session, he came bouncing down the stairs telling me how amazing it worked. He said "How about I pay you now," as he laid a big kiss on me.

Spud Harvest Break

School is put on hold for two weeks while people work in the harvest. Although it's officially "spud harvest" it's perfect timing for our corn harvest. Hudson has been enjoying packing his pocket knife around nonstop. His mornings are spent in the chopper with Brent. He loves having jobs and being helpful. He has become very useful in leap-frogging equipment around now that he can drive the 4-wheeler.

In addition to the harvest, we've been making the most of the beautiful (downright hot) weather. We've been eating popsicles, sleeping out, riding our bikes, eating alfresco, running the waterfall, and canning up the season's finest-corn, tomatoes, peaches, and apple.

Dinner Bell's Ringing

It's harvest time and the kids couldn't be happier. We've been fixing and then delivering food to the crews. We even grilled burgers right in the field one night. Dalanie loves that it means drinking pop and Hudson loves catching rides in the trucks and chopper. One thing's for sure when you see our car beating through a corn field- the food has arrived.

Cold Turkey

My baby, almost 10 months, up and quit nursing this past week, cold turkey. Apparently there are more exciting things going on than hiding under a blanket to eat. Especially when you can already feed yourself spaghetti.

Let me just say "ouch!"
Ouch that she doesn't need me anymore.
Ouch at the price of formula.
And ouch from engorgement.

Our Secret

As soon as the older kids are fast asleep, Ruby and I play. It has to be our little secret because Dalanie would certainly not approve, she couldn't stand it. We don't have to share my lap and we never get interrupted. There are high speed crawling chases and sweet little neck munches. Baby lotion and footed pajamas. Giggles and cuddles and tickles. It doesn't take long before she's completely worn out and joins the other sleeping ones, followed shortly by me.

Corn Picking

The sweet corn has been on for about three weeks now. We fixed up an old wagon that doubles as a playpen for the girls while I'm picking.I'm the official picker, with some helpers every now and again. Hudson prefers to oversee the project and help load the corn into the wagon. At first the kids and I would pick what was ready and set up a little stand in town to pedal our corn. They seemed to enjoy it more than I did.By this past week, I was tired spending my afternoons selling corn and there was just so much. Luckily we found a buyer who took the three pickup loads we picked and people to help pick. One more thorough picking and the season should about be over.

Fair Time

Best Dressed Couple

Dalanie told everyone we were headed to the fair after church, and she was right. Everyone probably assumed the EISF, but we had better plans than that.

The Wilkins clan convened at the fairgrounds in Burley for a state fair of their very own. You didn't need a loaded wallet, instead your participation paid cash. If you brought humanitarian dolls, you earned money. Just there a lot of money was paid out since over 550 dolls were collected!We had a dutch oven dinner, country dancing, carriage rides, and maple bars that evening.
Monday morning we collected our premium money for our handmade or homegrown entries. There was a little of everything there; artwork, produce, quilts.

Then on to the fun and games. There was a cow pie toss, sack races, graces tournament, ring and stick race, and a half pipe competition.You had to "buy" your lunch, but the twisted taters and burgers were worth every penny.
After lunch we went to the carnival. Grandpa was giving rides on his swing. You could prove your love and win a stuffed animal for your significant other and enjoy cotton candy, kettle corn, and sno cones.I'm afraid we won't ever take Dalanie to a real fair, she'd cost us a fortune. Anytime you turned around she was asking for more money.

Skunk Farmers

We've been raising another big patch of sweet corn for the kids to sale. We've learned that you can't have corn without critters. So with our bumper crop of corn, we have also had a bumper crop of skunks. After taking seven, we hope there is not much more increase of yield in that department.

We had a close call the other day. The kids and I were loaded on the 4-wheeler, headed to pick corn. We drove down one of the rows, only to find a skunk feet away with it's tail in the air. I let out a crippled scream and gunned the 4 wheeler out of there. I'm glad to report it was WHEW, instead of PHEW That would have been bad, very bad. Apparently there was a trap there (good to know.) What a heart pounder. I still shake thinking about it.