Thursday morning I woke up, looked out the window and saw other trailers. For a brief moment, I had to search the ‘ole memory bank to remember where the heck we were. Oh…now I remember – Limon, CO. This is our 7th year in Limon. We won’t be cutting for the same farmers that we had for the past six. Their last harvest was last summer. They decided it was time to do something different for a while. As you may recall from earlier posts, when we left home over four weeks ago, we didn’t have a job lined up to replace this one. God is good! We’re working for a new farmer. New names to put with new faces. New adventures. New people to add to our Christmas list. Most of the people we work for end up becoming more than just a job! Continue reading
Tag Archives: Agvocacy
we hit a wall (a big, cement one)
Our 4th of July was a little unlike any we’ve had in the past. We shared nearly two hours of the day with Teresa Scanlan (2011 Miss America) in our wheat field. Conrad Weaver (Conjo Studios) brought her to the field to “hang out” with us for a little while and to experience being in the combine while learning about our industry. Teresa is a true agvocate (advocate for agriculture) and is helping Conrad promote his documentary, The Great American Wheat Harvest. We had met her for the first time while we were in DC last March for Ag Day. Taylor and Callie found her very easy to talk to and enjoyed the company of someone closer to their own age. You can read here about the field-time-fun.
Jim said they laughed a lot and she was down to earth. Of course she’s down to earth – she’s from Nebraska!
better than expected
It’s been a few days since I felt like I had time to play catch up with my writing. We’re still in Garden City and still cutting wheat. Considering the summer, I feel we’re fortunate to say this!
And…I’m feeling quite fortunate to tell you the wheat we’re cutting for our farmer is doing much better than expected! The dry land wheat has averaged 30 bushels per acre with a weight of 62 lbs. Gary, the farm manager, told me before we started that the dry land was going to do better than the irrigated due to the late freezes they had in April. He said it would be lucky to make 20 bushels per acre. We’re cutting that irrigated now – it’s averaging 65 bushels per acre! The weight is the same 62-63 lbs. The Yellow Beast doesn’t know what to do with good wheat and moving at a slower pace.
adios, oklahoma
Leaving a place that has become “home” tends to make a person think about certain things. The one thing that I’ve thought about a lot this year is the fact that I take for granted way too many things! I found myself looking at my surroundings a little more intense this year. I sort of figured out that I don’t have a guarantee that I’ll be back next summer. So, I soaked in the lush green countryside, the smell of the wheat chaff, the beautiful water-colored sunsets (especially after a brief thunderstorm), the intense oven-like temps of the south winds (or Oklahoma gales) and the birds. I tried to take as many pictures of the countryside and the wheat field as I dared. The hot winds and birds are a different story.
On Your Mark, Get Set…GO!
The transition from “home, home” to the harvest world has always been a hard one for me. It takes everything I have to push through it year after year after year. This time, though, it was the worst!
When we began this way of life as a family in 1990, we had a young family. I was young, Jim was young and we only had two of our four daughters at that time. Jamie would have been 4 and Jenna only 2. Taylor and Callie came along way after this lifelong adventure began for us. Funny how at the time my children were growing up (and I was getting older), I never really thought about them growing up – and not being with us.
Nebraska Wheatie visits Prairieland Dairy
![IMG_3126[1]](https://i0.wp.com/www.nebraskawheatie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/img_31261.jpg?ssl=1)
I’ve never been to a dairy before. I mean…a REAL dairy. I’ve been to farms in the past that have included milking cows on their list of chores. Farms used to be more diversified than they are now. Most farms used to include cattle, pigs, chickens, and other animals as well as crops (wheat, corn, soybeans, etc.). Having animals on the farm requires so much more of the farmer’s attention than just the farming. Milking cows requires even more attention than cattle raised for beef which can be found on ranches. Dairy cattle need milked every day. They don’t care about the weather or the holidays or vacations. What they care about is being milked and that doesn’t happen unless they have a calf or human hands to do the job.
Ag Day, Ag Nerds & The Hill
One week ago today, I was still battling the not-feeling-so-good problem. I was also on my way to Washington, DC to take part in the festivities surrounding the 40th anniversary Ag Day. I had no idea what to expect. US Custom Harvesters had signed on as an “Ag Day Partner” earlier this year and I was looking forward to being a part of the group of people who are working hard at making the public aware of where their food comes from.
A REAL Irish meal…corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots – and Guinness.
Ag Day, Ag Nerds & The Hill
One week ago today, I was still battling the not-feeling-so-good problem. I was also on my way to Washington, DC to take part in the festivities surrounding the 40th anniversary Ag Day. I had no idea what to expect. US Custom Harvesters had signed on as an “Ag Day Partner” earlier this year and I was looking forward to being a part of the group of people who are working hard at making the public aware of where their food comes from.
A REAL Irish meal…corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots – and Guinness.
BIG business catering to gluten-free diets
Thanks to one of my readers, a link to the Celiac.com website was shared with me. After I visited it, I became aware of at least three interesting facts I’d like to share. I definitely believe there are people who genuinely suffer from Celiac Disease and gluten issues. I DON’T believe we should all stop eating wheat – simply because of the ridiculous claims that are being reported through our media sources.
- Celiac Disease is hereditary.
Celiac disease, also known as gluten intolerance, is a genetic disorder that affects at least 1 in 133 Americans. Symptoms of celiac disease can range from the classic features, such as diarrhea, weight loss, and malnutrition, to latent symptoms such as isolated nutrient deficiencies but no gastrointestinal symptoms.
2. There is clearly a difference between Celiac Disease and Gluten sensitivities. They are defined as “non-celiac” and “celiac gluten sensitivity”.
3. Catering to gluten-free diets is BIG BUSINESS!
$6.1bn spent 2011 on gluten-free foods in the USA—and a 30% growth from 2006 to 2010 in Canada to $2.64bn—indicate “Big Business” complete with the risk of missed, omitted, and mis-information for the goal of promoting greater consumption of gluten-free processed foods.
According to this CNBC.com article published on May 20, 2011, titled Gluten-free Foods Paying Off Big:
“Gluten-free ingredients can be pricey — Kupper estimates a gluten-free product can cost two to three-times more than regular items — but that has yet to dent their growth.
In 2010, gluten-free foods racked up $2.5 billion in global sales, accounting for more than a quarter of all food-intolerance purchases, according to Euromonitor International.”
A Wheatie’s View on Wheat
Ok…that’s it…last straw…now it’s my turn!
I heard about cardiologist Dr. William Davis and his book, Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health quite some time ago. The first time I remember seeing mention of this guy was when a friend of mine posted his concern about the popularity of the book on his FaceBook page. We are both harvesters and have been in and around wheat all our lives. Neither of us grow wheat, but we harvest wheat so it came off as ridiculous to both of us.
Yesterday, I opened my email’s home page and what’s staring back at me? An article written by George Dvorsky titled, Why you should probably stop eating wheat. Whaaaaaaaatttttttt?????