The Wheat Is Ready To Harvest
It’s golden yellow.
It’s perfectly ripe.
It sways on the breeze and makes a dry rustling sound.
It smells faintly of Wheat Chex cereal.
And it’s ready to be harvested. Harland mentioned last night that he will probably cut the wheat on Friday, so I rushed out last night to get some last pics of it. I immersed myself in the field taking lots of pics.
I even laid down just to see what it looks like from that angle.
And I continued to lay there……just because. It was quiet except for the wheat rustling and the birds. (And then it occurred to me that I’d better make sure no one was going by on the road before I got back up again as it might appear odd to see a woman popping up out of a wheat field.)
I’ll be sad to see the wheat go.
But it’s ready be harvested.
And, “for everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
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With all the farmers driving around, “checkin’ the fields” right now, you were bound to be spotted! Beautiful wheat indeed. Hope the harvest goes smooth.
Hi Gardener,
And I had a purple shirt, plaid shorts, and muck boots on. Not that there is a fashion rule for wheat fields, but I didn’t look good.
Take care, and thanks for stoppin’,
Suzanne
I wish we could come and see the harvest. That is something Terry and I have wanted to see forever. Take lots of photos Please
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/
Hi Linda,
I spoke to Harland over the lunch hour, and he’s moved the wheat harvest up to tonight. So I’ll take lots of pics to share.
Take care,
Suzanne
Beautiful! I just got a huge container ofharvested wheat berries from a co-worker, and am going to attempt to grind them and make cracked wheat bread! Probably a challenge, but why not?
Hi Judy,
Standing there in all that wheat last night got me to thinking about bread products. Happy bread making!
Thanks for visiting,
Suzanne
We live in the Swartland, the Western Cape’s bread-basket. A small country town surrounded by wheat-fields. Do you also burn the stubble? Is there a better way?
Hi Elephant’s Eye,
We don’t burn the stubble, but we do crop rotation, soybeans and corn. In western KS, where wheat is often planted year after year, they do still burn the stubble.
Thanks for dropping by,
Suzanne
I was looking at the wheat fields on the way home from work today and wondering when the harvest would begin! I will miss seeing the rippling of the wheat when the wind blows…
Hi Jen,
Me too, me too! And I will miss photographing it too.
Thanks for stopping by,
Suzanne
I can hardly wait to see you harvest pictures. I’ll miss the wheat ones. Does it really smell like Wheat Chex? I’d definitely be able to spend some time lying there if that were the case.
Hi Teresa,
The smell is not strong, but is does definitely smell like Wheat Chex, a nice warm earthy smell. And yes, I wanted to continue to lie there in the field too. I couldn’t hear my housework calling me from there.
Take care,
Suzanne
Each stage of wheat has its own beauty. I’m curious, how many acres of wheat have you grown? Hope you have a grand harvest.
Hi Vivian,
We have roughly 80 acres of wheat this year. Harland started harvest last night, and will work on it again this afternoon.
Thanks for visiting,
Suzanne
I’m 64 now. I remember at 12/13 yrs. watching the farmers
in SE North Dakota, crush one of those “fronds” in their
palm. Then I would see them bite into one of the wheat
kernals…testing moistness or dryness?..Do they still do
that? My father was from German immigrants who homesteaded near Lidgerwood, N. Dak and nearby in NE
So. Dakota. I remember when the alfalfa bloomed. The field
was so pretty with blue flowers…thanks for the wheat
memories.
Hi Mary M,
Just the other night, my husband took one of the wheat heads, and crushed it as you describe. He bit into the wheat kernal to test for moisture. If it is chewy, it is too damp to harvest. If it is hard, then it is just right and ready to cut. He has a machine also that tests the moisture content, but in a pinch, the old method can still be used.
So happy to be able to share in your wheat memories,
Take care,
Suzanne
Wow all these close ups of wheat! Must be a really awesome sight to behold. I have seen paddy fields here. All golden when the ready for harvest.
Hi Stephanie,
A ripe field of wheat is an awesome sight. I will miss it.
Thanks for dropping by,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
Love your pictures esp the one taken lying down. The wheat against the backdrop of the sky which is such a striking shade of blue, is breathtaking. Looking forward to the harvest pictures.
And thanks for dropping by my blog.
I hope there will be other fields not harvested yet as I drive west this afternoon. I enjoy seeing those “waves” of wheat there in Kansas.
Hello Glenda,
Harland is one of the first to be harvesting I think, so there will still be standing wheat to see on your trip.
Safe travels.
Suzanne
Beautiful photos! I have found myself in odd positions where I had hoped no one drive by and see me a time or two, the bad thing is, everyone around here knows each other and rumors would be spreading like wild fire!
Hi Kimberley,
Same is true for me- everyone knows everyone here, so if you do something out of the ordinary, everyone knows about it.
Thanks for stopping,
Suzanne
Thank you so much. Since you are starting do you think the rest of the Kansas and Nebraska will be starting? Terry and I would love to go watch the harvest sometime and since I’m on vacation this week….hummmmm.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Hi Linda,
Here a link that tells about the progress of the wheat harvest: http://www.kansaswheat.org/wheatpageid299_2010KansasWheatHarvestReports.shtml
It’s a good weekend for a road trip.
Happy wheat watching,
Suzanne
So this is winter wheat: planted last year. Is it red?
I’ve been trying to find hard red spring wheat for a recipe and haven’t yet. I find winter wheat all over.
Miss the wheat in the field to be enjoyed on the table.
Hi MyKitchen,
Not sure if it is red, but I do know it is winter wheat planted last fall. All the wheat planted in this area is winter wheat.
Thanks for stopping,
Suzanne
Beautiful pics Suzanne. Like Mary M’s comment I’m so enjoying my past
memories thru your pics. I lived on a farm in Mich. and we had wheat,
oats, alfalfa, and all the critters. Life was good. Thanks for a smile
today.
Doe
Hi Doe,
So happy you are enjoying this. You are very welcome!
Stop by again,
Suzanne
First time visitor to your blog and I LOVE the wheat shots, especially when you’re lying in the wheat! just beautiful. I am native to CA, have never visited KS let alone a wheat field. Thank you for the stunning photos.
Hi Wendy,
You are so welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed the wheat photos. I’ll have a post tomorrow about the harvest, so stay tuned.
Thanks for visiting!
Suzanne
The wheat crop is beautiful! I love your photos. I would love to lay down in a field of wheat…to just listen to it rustling…and watch it sway…just you and the wheat and the deep blue sky…how peaceful! I love it!
Hello Bonnie,
It is very peaceful. Like a mini-vacation.
Thanks for stopping,
Suzanne
I love the beautiful pictures of the wheat harvest. That to me is what the America farmer is about. Glad you and your family are keeping that tradition alive in America.
Hi Janice,
Thank you so much!
Stop by again soon,
Suzanne
Suzanne,
I’ve enjoyed following your blog lately thanks to Cheryl Unruh’s recommendation on her site. As a 60+ y.o. Kansan, it is so welcome to see and read about our neat state in a positive light. During most of my life, Kansans have erroneously made apologies for being here. It’s great that now people are beginning to realize what a wonderful place it is. I was a visual artist for 40 years and having grown up in and near the Flint Hills (Emporia) my painting was influenced by the shapes, mood and colors of the area. Thanks for recording you and your husband’s lives in our wonderful state. Best regards, Steve Scott, Lindsborg
Hello Steve,
I’m pleased you are enjoying my site! Having moved from Missouri to Kansas several years ago, I sensed an attitude from some that there is nothing to see or do here. But I soon realized that KS is loaded with a lot of things to see and do, not to mention the fact that it is a great place to live. So part of the reason I started the blog was to let people see the real Kansas, and hopefully clear up some misconceptions.
Thank you so much for your visit,
Suzanne
Oh, this makes me so homesick! I fondly remember harvest from when I was a kid growing up in Gypsum, KS. Taking ‘lunch’ to the cutters in the field and sitting under a wheat truck for shade. My husband is in the army and we are stationed in Korea…a long, long way from home.
Hi KSUgirl,
Thank you for stopping by. I’m sorry you are homesick, but I hope your visit here helps a little.
Take care,
Suzanne
Really nice pictures. I had some questions about harvesting Wheat I was hoping you might be able to answer them.
How do you know when it is ready to be harvest? Is there a test or some thing ?are there signs ?
Is the time and signs different if you are harvesting by hand or by machine. Thank you for your help in this matter.
moose
Hi Moose,
The wheat is ready to harvest when the moisture content is 13%. We test it to find out. It will store in the grain bins well at that moisture level. Since we only harvest by machine, I don’t know if it is different for harvesting by hand.