Milo to harvest and the newly planted wheat on the County Line
October 2010
October 2010
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.
Edwin Way Teale
At the County Line, autumn is a time of harvest and a time of sowing. But after a couple of weeks of non-stop wheat sowing, it was time to harvest our milo crop.

We have 290 acres of milo. We planted our 2010 milo crop in June. Randy uses milo in our crop rotation as a way to get rid of cheat grass on wheat ground.

Input costs for milo are less: The seed costs less than corn and soybeans, and we don't usually have to spray for bugs. However, the yield potential for milo is also less, so there's definitely a trade-off there.


We're used to seeing cattle on the milo stalks. But, on September 22, there was another kind of visitor. As we drove along a shelter belt, we flushed out some monarch butterflies from the trees. They didn't stick around for round two of our harvest.


The co-op won't take the grain if it tests higher than 15.5. A week ago today (October 8), we were all set to cut milo, but the Zenith branch of the Kanza Co-op, where we usually take our grain, had a transformer fire on October 7.
With no electricity to the elevator, we had to take the grain to the Stafford branch until they got a generator late Wednesday afternoon (October 13) and could again take loads of milo. We rented a semi from my brother, Kent, since we had to haul further than normal.


As with most harvests, there are always some kinks in the schedule. On Wednesday, we had to have a combine tire repaired. Yesterday, a belt on the combine broke, and I made yet another unexpected journey to Hutchinson for parts after my expected lunch delivery.

We hope to have the milo harvest finished up Saturday, if we don't have too many additional catastrophes. (Nobody hold your breath!)
***
Read more and see earlier photos from this year's milo crop by clicking on these previous posts:
Half Full? Or Half Empty
Blink
Sunshine and Raindrops
How do you manage meals when you are the truck driver? I used to pack an individual cooler for everyone, putting in enough food to last all day! They could eat it whenever they decided.
ReplyDeleteMilo and wheat were Marion's two crops, too. We also had no irrigation.
Your farming sounds so much like Marion's. I enjoy reliving it through your blogs!
Thanks, Jane! Other than helping move trucks and other vehicles, I haven't had to drive to the co-op to dump grain this year for milo harvest. Our hired man has been doing it. With meals to the field, helping move people and vehicles and parts runs, it seems to keep me busy enough.
ReplyDelete