Presumably, Saturday evening was our last chance to use those half price dinner and show tickets we bought this summer. Usually we’re using up those ‘deals’ just before expiration. This time we beat that deadline, only because we are upon the cusp of harvest. Rachael and I enjoyed a night out with some friends at the famous Amish Acres and Round Barn Theatre in Nappanee.

That’s right, we hope to begin harvest this week. We expected that beans would be ready first, but the cool and cloudy weather seems to have slowed them down even more than corn. We made another irrigation pass across beans last week. This was the last time. Even in the irrigated fields there have been pod and seed abortion. Some more sun and warmth may have benefitted the beans, but only if we had some moisture come with it.

Instead we will venture into the corn fields first. Typically, we push the front end of harvest and seek out early delivery premiums. This year, the only premium I’ve seen was for beans delivered over this past weekend. Regardless, it will be good to get the dryer fired up and make sure there aren’t any hiccups. Until Sunday morning, I thought we were behind schedule compared to last year; however, a Facebook memory popped up showing photos that were taken last year while we were calibrating the grain cart scales.

Tomorrow we should be ready to test fire the dryer and air system. Most years we hold back enough corn to load the dryer for an easy start up. If all goes well tomorrow we’ll load corn into the dryer and be ready to pick corn. Though the list of things to do truly never ends, we are closing in on the ‘must do’ portion. Moving a grain bin unload auger is the last major item on the list. Fortunately, this can wait until the first rainy spell we get.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.