The last harvest each year on our farm is corn picking. We have a small herd, so we don’t need as much corn as our neighbors do. However, the effort is just as crucial and time consuming. The challenge we have in the harvest, is that our picker picks one row at a time. Combines which are a newer technology can pick multiple rows in one pass. They also shell corn kernels off of the cob. The corn picker picks the whole cob.
The tractor pulls the picker and a wagon.
The filled wagons are transported back to the farm.
Corn is emptied into an elevator which raises the corn into the hole in the corn crib roof. The the wagon is returned to the field to be filled again.
We fill our corn cribs and keep the ear corn for use over the winter. You will notice that the corn cribs are made with slats that allow air to move freely through the corn pile. With the exposure to the air, mold is not as likely to grow as it would be in a closed building.
Many things can complicate the corn harvests. Weather can make or break the harvest days. With not enough rain, the corn may not develop properly. With too much rain, corn could mold in the field . The tractors have difficulty driving in muddy fields. Equipment breakdown can halt a harvest in many ways.
After we plow, plant, cultivate, pick and store, we thank God for each and every harvest He gives.
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
photo credit:Wenda Grabau
Those are some really nice pictures, Mom. The colors are so pretty. I love the smell of the corn harvest!
Thank you. I took most of the photos last year. I was learning to take pictures on my new camera. We are glad the harvest is in.
Some people claim that you should put the water on to boil before going to the garden to harvest the corn because it loses its fresh-picked flavor so quickly.
That may be true for sweet corn for human consumption. Our corn harvest is for animal food.