Images of the 2008 Harvest Pg 3

"God Bless, and Save America"

Highmore, South Dakota, 2008

By Scott D. Trostel aka The Webmaster

Highmore, South Dakota was ground-zero for the 2008 wheat harvest during the week of July 20, 2008. Johnson Harvesting arrived in Harrold, South Dakota on July 8 and established camp. To everyone's distain the wheat was still green and temps were in the mid 70s. Farmers were predicting at least a week until anything was ready for harvest. Other custom harvesters arrived from Kansas and Nebraska fields to also discover no immediate work. By Sunday, July 20, only 4% of the South Dakota winter wheat crop had been harvested, not a good situation.

Everyone marked time, doing equipment maintenance and giving attention to every matter until the wheat turned. Some spent time pitching horse shoes, others were on the phone looking for perhaps one farm with ripe wheat in need of harvesting, but no such luck. . Cool nights, cool days and an almost daily weather front with rain slowed ripening of the massive wheat even more. It was until July 22 before any of the harvesters could get into the fields, with wheat barely below the maximum allowable moisture, and that was only in selected fields across the region.

Driving from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Highmore, South Dakota on July 23, a brilliant blue sky greeted the morning. By the time we arrived at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the skies were gray and threatening. Westbound near Mitchell, South Dakota the skies opened up and steady rains dashed any hope for the start of the main harvest.

From the north side of the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation in central South Dakota we saw teams of two or three combines sitting near the edge of unharvested fields, first green ones', then red ones' then blue ones's, an ominous sign. We arrived in Highmore about mid-afternoon and arranged lodging. We were met by our son, Daniel. A drive around the region confirmed what we had come to recognize as a much delayed harvest. Many farm-yards held the equipment and staff trailers throughout the region. A walk along two fields and a handful of wheat told the tale that it was still too high in moisture for harvesting.

There was a passing shower in the pre-dawn Thursday hours, and a heavy wind. At 6 a.m. the sun rose to a near cloudless sky, but to the northwest a line of low clouds and heavy fog dropped visibility to near zero within an hour. On the drive from Highmore to Harrold, the fog lifted and a hot sun finally broke across the fields, right along with a decent wind.

Even with a burning sun now out, the wheat had to dry further. We made a side trip to Oahe Dam at Pierre, some 46 miles east on Thursday afternoon, only to see more harvesters arriving. They no doubt knew they would sit and wait for work.

At the Johnson Harvesting Camp at Harrold, South Dakota, Jordan does his now famous SUN DANCE and offers to sacrifice the recently acquired car to the sun gods in return for a shot at some ripe wheat. It must have worked -- the next day the harvest got under way. Daniel Trostel is in the red shirt to the right. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

At the Johnson Harvesting Camp at Harrold, South Dakota, Jordan's dance quickly revealed sound results as the skies almost immediately cleared. In the foreground are Johnson's combine and header trailers. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

Johnson Harvesting Camp at Harrold, South Dakota. The two trailers in the middle were somehow dubbed the "Boars' Nest." -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

The author made a side-trip to Pierre, South Dakota on the afternoon of July 24. Just as we pulled out of the parking area, in came another of many custom harvesters, heading for the Highmore area and work in the wheat harvest. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

Three of the grain trucks are readied for the coming harvest at the Johnson Harvesting camp, 7/24/08. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

Near Harrold, four of six Johnson Harvesting combines and two tractors with grain carts await their next assignment. In the mix are three Case IH 8010s and one AFX 8010, second from the right. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

Back in Highmore, a town of about 900 residents, all the action was at the intersection of Highways 14 and 47. Over 100 combines and probably 40 customer harvesters passed this point over the next 36 hours as they came to the region looking for work. On the date of this photo only 4% of the South Dakota winter wheat crop had been harvested. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

Word came down in the evening that moisture might be low enough to test two fields. Daniel Trostel is at the controls of the 7010 as he heads out to run a moisture sample. The author was in the cab and watched as moisture varied throughout the field. It was decided that if the wind stayed up and the storm front held off, the magic 13.5 number would be reached the next day. There was a heavy wind and rain shower in the pre-dawn hours, but the sun came out and temps came up quickly. At noon the next day crews went back to run another moisture sample -- and wait as moisture dropped. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/24/08

At noon on July 25 Daniel Trostel fuels the 7010 in preparation for running another moisture sample. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/25/08

The 8010 heads out to the crop and takes a sample. It came back high, but was dropping. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/25/08

We wait! The crew marks time -- again, in the hope the magic moisture number will be reached. Four hours passed and still moisture was not dropping as fast as it should have. The author headed back to Highmore about 4 p.m. then a call came that a field west of Highmore had dropped below 13%, so the harvest was finally under way. -- Photo by Scott Trostel 7/25/08

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