10 Ways You Know Harvest is Approaching

For many years I have worked the Rice County Pork Producers and Dakota Rice Corn and Soybean Growers Pork Stand at the Defeat of Jesse James Days. Normally I am out to the farm getting machinery ready for harvest and head home early to get up to Northfield.

This is a sure sign that harvest is approaching when the bean leaves begin to turn yellow.

Another sure sign fall and harvest is approaching is the Minnesota State Fair and the Princess Kay of the Milky Way Coronation.

Another sure sign of fall and harvest approaching is when some of the corn leaves on the top of the plant begin to turn brown.

Later in the summer when beans stop growing taller the weeds will show up through the bean canopy. These escape weeds have been there in the beans for a while, but you do not see them until late in the summer.

In late summer and early fall you begin to see political yard signs showing up. Another sure indication that soon you will be harvesting corn and beans.

You know harvest is close when the tree leaves begin to turn color and fall on your yard.

Well before harvest you want to service and check over all of your equipment to make sure it is ready. Nothing is more frustrating than having the crop ready for harvest and you realize you forgot to fix a bin or a piece of equipment. This is a picture of my technician, Bill Steckelberg from Ag Power Enterprises, working on my combine.

I am a big football fan - local high school, the Minnesota Gophers and the Minnesota Vikings. It is great to be in the combine cab listening to all the coaches shows on Saturday morning, the Gophers on Saturday afternoon and the Vikings on Sunday afternoon. That is, of course, as long as I am in the cab and not broken down!

It is very imported to start harvest rested and ready to go for the long days and short nights. That means lots of cat naps!