Picking? Or Cutting?

Are we picking corn or cutting corn? That is the question.

Since we're relatively new to corn production here on The County Line, I fall back on my wheat harvest terminology and say we are "cutting corn." My Farmer says that there just might be an old fella or two at Joan's Cafe who would correct me. They are of the "corn picking" vernacular.

No matter how you say it, we started corn harvest yesterday. (I think my "corn harvest" semantics will please all "cutting" and "picking" camps.)

Our combine has an eight-row header. (In the photo below, you can't see all eight rows.)

I think they look a little like missiles as they move down between the rows. The corn ears are pulled off the corn stalk and are dragged into the combine with rollers. Inside the combine, the corn kernels are separated from the husks and cobs.

Then the cobs and debris are dispersed out the back of the combine, leaving it on the ground to protect the soil from erosion and return plant matter to the earth. (We may also fence it off and have cattle on corn stalks later this fall.)

Once the combine bin gets full ...

... it's time to dump it into the truck. Many farmers have a grain cart pulled by a tractor to do this step, but we unload from the combine directly into the trucks.

In this photo, you can also see the whole header.

This is the first time we've used our semi for harvest.

 

We had a good first day of cutting ... or picking ... or harvest. Take your pick of terminology.

 

And you can't beat a beautiful sunset to end the day.