Farm 102 | Harvest

Welcome to Farm 102.
In the event you missed Farm 101, click here.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven  ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

The season is autumn and October is the time for harvest. My parents have been farming in northern Iowa for 40 years - I am proud of the important work they do - feeding the world.  Harvest is an exciting time filled with long days, hard work and plenty of dust! {aaaachoo} I was happy to take BSG home {to Iowa} to experience harvest - BSG gets photo credit on all the images in this post. 
The soybean fields had been harvested by the time we arrived - so lets talk about corn, shall we? 
Come along my friends and I'll give you a tour.

This golden ear is ready and waiting to be harvested. 
Iowa ranks #1 in the US in Corn and Soybean production.

The combine is the work horse - a big, powerful machine that is quite efficient at cutting the stalk, removing the corn from the cob and discarding everything else out the backside.  The grain is collected in the hopper on top and is unloaded via the auger you see on the right side.

The King in his Castle. 
Inside the combine is all high tech - like a wi-fi hot spot - the computer calculates yield per acre, moisture content and a time when you will complete that field.  My favorite part is the comfortable seat to the left of the king...years ago to ride in the combine meant perching on the arm rest - now you get your very own seat!  It's the small things.

This post is starting to look like a John Deere advertisment, isnt it? 

When the hopper is full, the grain is emptied into wagons and transported to bins for storage.

A trap door on the side of the wagon cranks open, the grain pours out into the auger and is elevated into the silver bins for storage.

The Iowa Hawkeye football helmets sport a sticker with three letters...ANF
That sticker stands for America Needs Farmers.

Today's American farmer feeds about 155 people worldwide.  

Now, go thank a Farmer!!!