Tag Archives: wheat harvest

OH HAPPY DAY!

by nebraskawheatie

The title of this post will only mean something to Jenna and the rest of my family. 🙂 However, we certainly HAVE celebrated a couple very happy days recently. I will attempt to keep the number of words to a minimum because I’m sure I could get long-winded. The number of pictures I’d l ike to share will make this posting long enough.

On Saturday, April 21, Taylor went to her very first prom.

img_2866She had ordered her dress online – in plenty of time –  on Thanksgiving. When she received it, it was way too big. I couldn’t send it back to the “store” as it was created in China. So, the next thing we had to do was take it in. It was a job that seemed rather overwhelming to me but I was willing to accept the challenge. I had questions, though, how to make it happen and called upon a neighbor who had done dresses like this in the past for advice. Taylor and I went to Judeen’s house for help. Judeen, bless her heart, just took over the job. I think she knew it was going to be something I really didn’t want to tackle! And, I’m so thankful for her and what she did. You would never have known that dress was taken apart and re-sewn. THANK YOU, JUDEEN – you are a miracle worker!

Continue reading →

The times…they are a changing!

by nebraskawheatie

The other morning, the Nesquik container was left sitting on the counter. This was a familiar sight every other week at one time in this household. Now, not so much. As a matter of fact, I had almost forgotten that it ever got refilled…that’s how long its been. This family is full of Quik fans. Nesquik used to come out of the cupboard every single day for someone’s daily drink of choice. Unfortunately, those days have disappeared. Funny how something that once was so familiar and constant just quietly disappeared. A sign of the times – the family unit, as we know it, is changing. I miss those old days!

Continue reading →

by nebraskawheatie

Unfortunately, the number of people who have no idea where their food comes from is growing. If we don’t begin realizing the importance of teaching the next generation about the farm and agriculture, we could be in for a “whole heap of trouble”. After being to the East Coast and talking custom harvesting and combines (DC), I realize there are a lot of people who just assume their bread comes from a grocery store. In 10 more years, the average age of the American farmer will be nearly 70. Have we done too good of a job of pushing our younger generation away from the farm or will they step up and take over the job? It’s time we start preparing for the future!

Spring? or Summer?

by nebraskawheatie

It’s 2 degrees short of being HOT today in Eastern NE. The past three days the temp has reached at or near 90 degrees. Although I am loving this heat, the flowers that I have waited for a year to return are not. When it’s spring, the flowers like the cool weather so much better. With the past three days of heat and wind, the flowers are suffering. The crabapple trees, cherry tree, apple tree and the redbuds are nearly done gracing us with their beauty. There’s been previous years where the flowers last quite some time before drying up and blowing away.

 A few of my most favorite flowers are beginning to “pop” – the iris. The miniature guys are first to show their beauty and the intermediate are beginning to sprout their bloom stocks.

Continue reading →

Wheat Harvest Preps

by nebraskawheatie

Well, as I’ve mentioned in prior posts, our family seems to view the year by events rather than days on the calendar. The harvest convention is nearly a month ago and Easter is right around the corner. The weather has been stupendous and our little piece of the world is beginning to take on colors – green trees and grass…yellow/red/pink and purple flowers are in the mix throughout the yard. My very FAVORITE season!! I love driving through the countryside and watching the baby calves run, jump and play with each other. The winter world is waking up in full force this year – about a month early.

The past couple of days I’ve heard a noise that I haven’t heard since last fall…lawn mowers. Jim’s mowing our yard as we “speak”. USUALLY, we don’t even think about mowing until Jenna’s birthday (April 23). The last sign of spring that I am oh so anxiously awaiting is the distinct sound of the house wren. When I hear her shrill song (which sounds more like scolding than singing) I know spring has arrived!

Along with this kind of weather comes the beginnings of the wheat harvest preparations. Jim is done working his “real” job and is now spending time thinking about what needs to be done to the trucks and combine in preparation of the 2012 harvest season. Trucks will start showing up in the yard and it will become a “mini” farm/equipment dealership. We don’t farm and we don’t own a shed of our own so it’s a lot easier for Jim if his equipment is right outside the backdoor. Unfortunately, when it rains, there’s not much he can do and the day is spent doing other things. How I wish we would have just bought some land and built a shed 20 years ago. Life happens too fast!

Our “summer cottage on wheels” has been purchased and is in the process of being built. It should be coming off the line around April 10… hopefully. Somehow, I have a feeling we’ll still be biting our nails wondering when it’s going to be in the driveway so we can get it packed.  Am I anxious? YES! Harvest is always something our family looks forward to each year. We’re ready to go – but for now, the daily preparations and the beginnings of pre-harvest stress are about to begin. Stay tuned…

What in the world I’ve been up to

by nebraskawheatie

It’s been quite some time since I posted. Been a LITTLE BIT busy! The US Custom Harvesters convention was last week (March 1, 2, & 3) and turned out to be an exceptional event! Hmmm….was I really there or was it just a dream? What an OUTSTANDING bunch of people involved in making everything happen – from the volunteers, to members of the Board of Directors, to the vendors, to all the members of the association! If you were there, you know what I’m talking about – if you weren’t…there’s always next year! Go to the website www.uschi.com to view the pictures and some video  (actually, I don’t know if the 2012 pictures have been uploaded yet). There are pictures on the USCHI Facebook page.

I got really excited when I walked outside just a couple of minutes ago and wanted to share that excitement with you. Spring is here!!!!

See what I found:

I’ve always said, “The best part of winter is spring”! It’s all uphill from here (don’t forget to set your clocks and watches and “spring” ahead tonight) There’s a daffodil that is nearly ready to bloom, too. This just makes me smile!

Now, on to something a little more serious. Jim and I don’t have to hire employees so what I’m about to talk about next doesn’t apply to us. The country has a Temporary Guest Worker program – H-2A, H-2B and J-1 – which is in dire need of a fix! Last month, I went to DC along with other members of U.S. Custom Harvesters to attend the National Council of Agricultural Employers (NCAE) annual meeting. Sometimes, the best way to learn about something or how something works is to jump into it head first. When you do this, expect to learn way more than you really want to.

Agriculture and the custom harvesting industry are being regulated more and more all the time. This scares me. Why? Because the government and the government agencies are going to regulate us all right out of a job. When this happens, where will your food come from? How will you know how your food is planted, grown and harvested? Frank Gasperini, Executive Vice President of NCAE says this:

“Our food WILL be grown, harvested, processed and prepared by immigrant’s hands – the important question for the future of America is whether we will find ways for this to be done LEGALLY in America or whether we will allow our food to be supplied from foreign countries? It is distressing that a federal program designed to assure American farmers sufficient and timely labor to plant, tend, and harvest seasonal and perishable crops; many of which feed the American people each day, has become so complicated, confusing, and unpredictable that farmers and even professional H-2A agents are routinely forced to hire lawyers to help them get through the process successfully. This is not what Congress intended when the program was instituted.”

Could this really happen, you ask? Yes, it could! H-2A, H-2B and J-1 visas allow foreign employees to come to America and fill the seasonal jobs that most people in this country either don’t want to fill or can’t. Employers submit applications and pay high fees to bring these foreign employees to do the jobs that can’t be filled. The government is working overtime at denying applications and making it nearly impossible to allow these workers to come to this Country. They reason that because of the high unemployment rate agriculture should be able to find suitable labor. Great idea – but it’s not working so well. “State work force agencies referred 36,000 domestic workers to H-2A employers. Only 5% worked through the contract period. Of the 20% of domestic workers who began work but did not work through the entire contract period, 59% quit, 15% were terminated for cause, 7% failed to produce acceptable work authorization documents and 16% left for misc. reasons. Only 3% left because there was no more work to be performed”. (This was taken directly from NCAE’s 2010 survey of H-2A employers)

No workers means food is left rotting in fields and on trees and custom harvesters are unable to find enough qualified employees to run their equipment.

Don’t get me wrong – I am NOT a believer of illegal workers or amnesty!!! As a matter of fact, that just “torks” me! Being here illegally is a crime and as far as I’m concerned everyone who crosses the border illegally needs to be caught and sent back. This country needs a Temporary Guest Worker program that works and will allow all guest workers to work in America legally. “Without dependable, predictable, and willing agricultural labor, there will be little domestic food production; leaving our nation’s food supply in the hands of a merciless global marketplace. Sound agricultural labor policy benefits growers, workers and the American public”. (NCAE)

Tomorrow afternoon, I will be packing my bag again and heading back to DC with two other members of the US Custom Harvesters’ Board of Directors. Our purpose for going this time will be to TRY to make our Legislative members on “the hill” understand how the deterioration of the H-2A program is affecting the custom harvesting industry. The USCHI motto currently is “We Harvest the Crops that Feed the World”. We’re hoping that it remains that way and won’t have to be changed to, “We Used to Harvest the Crops that Fed a Now Starving World”. Wish us luck!

Boredom produces old harvest picture gallery

by nebraskawheatie

gpa-gma-h-001Grandpa & Grandma Hancock (not sure of the date)

I finished getting my numbers together for the tax man. It was too early to go to bed, I didn’t want to clean my house (yet), and it was too early to pack for the US Custom Harvesters convention. So…now what? Hmmm, let’s go through this “old memory” drawer. The “old memory” drawer holds little keepsakes my Grandma gave me before she passed away. I found some loose old pictures and decided it would be fun to go through them. These were pictures she had saved in a wooden cigar box. When I started looking, it made the ‘ole tears start. The first few I saw were of Grandma as a young woman. She did so many things and went so many places! I am in awe of all she did. She was definitely not scared to go on her own. She was 19 in the following pictures. She took a train by herself to California to stay with her Uncle in San Diego. While there, she visited Tijuana, Old Mexico. This was in 1938

gma-001

gma1-001

gma2-001

gma3-001

gma4-001 Now I know where my love for fishing came from.

 Then I started seeing old harvest pictures and decided I needed to share.

harvest-001It was in this combine and in the corn field that I remember standing in the cab with Grandpa and “helping”. I was little enough I would take a nap on the ledge behind the seat.

harvest1-001

harvest2-001

harvest3-001

harvest4-001

harvest5-001Notice who’s “helping” on the header? Yep, that’s me. 🙂

harvest6-001And this very skinny young man is the guy I later married.

harveest7-001

harvest13-001Me and Grandma posing for a newspaper article while in Lodgepole, NE. She looks a whole lot more excited about doing it than I do!

harvest8-001In 1989, Jamie, Jenna and I visited the harvesters in Lodgepole, NE. Jamie would have been 3 and Jenna 16 mos.

harvest9-001

harvest10-001

harvest11-001Our first year on the road as Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking. 1990 – Lodgepole, NE

harvest12-001Jenna helping her Daddy.

Another yearly event is about to come and go. The US Custom Harvesters convention is next week. As I’ve said before, our family counts down events ’til harvest rather than months and days. So, we’re nearly through them all. After we’ve celebrated Jenna’s birthday, the next thing to do will be pack the trailer to get ready to head south. When the convention is here, harvest is right around the corner! Are you ready to follow the adventure?

A Random Re-post

by nebraskawheatie

I’m in dire need of something that reminds me of summer. Eastern Nebraska has had a WONDERFUL winter as far as severity. Maybe a little too nice. We’re in need of some moisture and it sounds like it may be on the way starting Friday. For now, though, I’m really missing summer and the harvest. I started this blog late in the 2011 harvest season so I don’t have a lot to choose from.  I know I have fun reliving the crazy days of harvest:  Click here to read Finished with Winter Wheat in Jordan

Now I can start thinking SPRING!

by nebraskawheatie

I know we could have a lot more winter yet. As a matter of fact, March is sometimes THE WORST month for measurable snowfall in Nebraska. At least we know when it snows then, it won’t stick around very long.  Nebraska has been in a roller coaster pattern all winter with very little moisture – really nice for several days and then a blast of cold. Today, we’re headed toward another upward trend with mid 40’s in the forecast.  However, Nebraska weather also has a trend being after the warmer days…watch out! (I think that may be coming on Friday)

I know you’re probably going to laugh but guess I’ll fill you in anyways. I took down the Christmas tree yesterday. Yes…the tree (and all the other Christmas decorations). I decided that it was time to get the living room back to normal again, regardless of just how much we have enjoyed the tree this year. As a reminder, here’s what it looked like and this is how it came to be part of our family:

It felt good waking up this morning and walking into the living room knowing I didn’t have that job ahead of me.

Last fall, I sold our summer home on wheels. Jim felt it was time to look for something that had more “livable” space for the rainy days (or when we find ourselves inside the trailer for longer periods of time). The other trailer house was beautiful and I loved it but it did lack in space for everyone just to hang out.

When we knew it was going to be a long day inside, Jim would just head upstairs and lay on the bed most of the day. So…now the search has begun. Finding something that fits both of our likes and “requirements” is a little tough. Last weekend, Jim and I decided to take a quick trip to Wichita to look at a specific toy hauler that had caught my eye. He likes the idea of the 3 axles and I want something that feels like home when you come in from the field at the end of the day. Pretty hard to find that in a toy hauler. I thought the one we went to look at would be “the one”. No. We visited a couple other RV lots while we were there and found a 5th wheel we both liked. Now, we wait to hear if the salesman can do his job and make the price somewhat reasonable and maybe worth a second look. I hope he comes through because it would be PERFECT for our family. When we finally find our next “cottage on wheels”, I’m sure I’ll be sharing with pictures. Until then, the days just keep clicking away.  We need to have one in the driveway the first of May so I can start the packing process.

Another sign that spring’s on the way is the long awaited (by my family) US Custom Harvester’s convention. This year, it’s in Grand Island, Nebraska and will begin for me the end of February. We’re talking days away now. The kids LOVE going! It’s the time when they can be around people who know what we do and don’t have to ask the question, “what’s a combine?” or “how was your VACATION?” When we get around the good folks who call themselves custom harvesters, it’s like being with family again. LOVE IT and we can’t wait. Curious about what happens at the USCHI harvester’s convention? Check out the pictures you can find at http://www.3-deerphotos.com/  You can also visit the USCHI website at www.uschi.com After the harvest convention, it seems the spring harvest preparations begin and wheat harvest is right around the corner. The Zeorian household is ready for the day when the “train” is headed south again!

Now that February is nearly here, I will be watching and waiting for the first Robin I see. When that happens, I KNOW spring is right around the corner!

Are you sure it’s January 5?

by nebraskawheatie

Ok, so something is definitely up with the weather in Eastern Nebraska this year! I’m not saying anything bad about it whatsoever. Today’s record high is 62 degrees. We are looking at breaking that record. What this does do is mess with my day. When temps this nice happen, I feel like I should be finding SOMETHING to do outside. Maybe I should take down the Christmas lights. If Jordan were still with us, she’d have fun playing catch or chasing a frisbee. I’ve even recently read somewhere that someone local saw a snake in their yard. This is NOT typical weather but I’m loving it. Usually, though, when it’s this nice outside, it generally means something nasty is right behind it. I don’t think that’s the case this time. The weather man just called for 50 tomorrow and mid 40’s for the weekend.

I’m still trying to get through my huge stack of “things to do” because I chose to ignore it over the holidays. I’m paying for it now.  I felt like I made progress yesterday and need to stay on track to be able to say the same today. But now…we’ve got a heat wave calling me to come outside. Spring fever – which leads to thoughts of this:

And this: