Kansas Wheat Harvest 2011 - Part 2

There's something very empowering about running the combine. Not only do I have control of a massive machine with tons of moving parts, but I also am contributing to the success and well-being of the family farm. With every pass, I share in the hard work and legacy that has been passed down through multiple generations. Nichole's grandpa farmed some of the same ground her dad and brother are farming today. Her other grandpa farmed in Oklahoma and Kansas, and had a custom cutting business, too.

Cutting wheat!

Between Nichole's brother and dad, they have more than 80 years of farming experience. What's really cool is they seem to balance her dad's old-school farming practices that built the farm with her brother's new-fangled ideas and processes. It's clear that to be successful you must have both strong roots and branching limbs.

Cutting in Mattox Draw.

Combine header - the sickle cuts the straw.

Unloading wheat at the house for storage in the bins.

After harvest finished, one of the main chores we tackled was cleaning the combines. With an air compressor we blew off every nook and cranny where dust and chaff collected. It is one of the dirtiest jobs on the farm and luckily we chose a day when the wind was blowing. Not only did it keep us a little cooler, it also moved most of the dirt away.

Once we loosened up a bunch of the dirt, Heath started up the combine to move it all out the back end.