Finished

What a beautiful fall! A total contrast to last year. The weather cooperated with us and harvest is now finished. We finished corn last week after the new leg was finally put into service. We had stopped combining soybeans because they got too dry. But when several predicted rains never materialized, we decided to finish them even if they were too dry. Ideal soybean moisture is in the 12 - 13% range. But we were combining the last of them in the 7 - 9 % range. We were definitely losing yield because of the low moisture content. Even though we are the last to finish harvest in our neighborhood, it is not late.

We have been working on tillage, but that has been slowed while waiting on fertilizer. The distributors and dealers are having a hard time keeping up with demand this year because of the early, open harvest. Farmers are also trying to make up for what they didn't get done last year.

Our 4 wheel drive tractor is in the shop, so we are using a rental tractor for some of our tillage. Another unexpected expense on top of the tractor repair bill. We add this to the combine repair bill from the 5 day "hospital" stay it had this fall. It is a good thing that prices are going up to help cover the additional expenses.

And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exodus 23:16