Combine Rides at My Great Uncle's Farm
Where: Lehi (United States). When: on 15-06-1997.
Written at 15-05-2012 by Anonymous
3593 Reads
“O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain...” Amber waves of grain are an important part of our country's heritage and identity. The Midwest is famous for its wheat fields, waving in the wind in their golden or amber color, with the deep blue sky stretched above.
At least the farmers hope and pray that there will be a deep blue sky overhead when the wheat is ripe. If not, they could run into serious problems, as rain and mud can ruin the wheat, or make the fields too soggy to reap, as the combine will just get stuck in the mud.
Even though amber waves of grain are an important part of our country's identity, not all Americans know all these facts about them. Not all realize the importance that farming has had in our nation's history, and that it still has even today.
However my siblings and I had the special opportunity of getting acquainted with this process, even though we lived in the city. Every year, when the wheat ripened, we would take a day to go out and watch the harvest. This year was no exception. As we arrived at my great uncle's farm, we spotted the combine making its rounds of the field, and we quickly scurried out of the car and made our way over to the field. My great uncle let us take rides in the combine as he harvested the wheat fields. There were two places that one could ride—inside the combine's cab where there was air conditioning, or outside in the hot and dusty summer air, under the sweltering harvest sun. I usually rode on the outside steps of the combine. There one could see the huge blades cutting the grain. After it was cut, the wheat kernels were separated from the chaff. The kernels went into the combine's holding bin, and the chaff was spewed out the top.
After the combine made each round, it would stop at the pick-up truck to empty all the wheat it had cut that round. When we had finished riding the combine, we would climb into the wheat, to play in the truck with the wheat kernels until the combine needed to dump again. When the truck finally filled with wheat, it was time to take it to the grain elevator. Sometimes my grandfather or one of my other great uncles would drive the truck, but this time we took it. Since my brother and sisters and I were still sort of small, we managed to fit all six of us (our parents too) in the truck cab, and we headed out. When we arrived at the large grain elevator, we had to weigh the truck. The lady at the little office there gave us some cold fruit pop, so we enjoyed some of that, as we were very hot. When we had emptied the truck into the elevator, we drove the empty truck back to the farm to be filled again!
At least the farmers hope and pray that there will be a deep blue sky overhead when the wheat is ripe. If not, they could run into serious problems, as rain and mud can ruin the wheat, or make the fields too soggy to reap, as the combine will just get stuck in the mud.
Even though amber waves of grain are an important part of our country's identity, not all Americans know all these facts about them. Not all realize the importance that farming has had in our nation's history, and that it still has even today.
However my siblings and I had the special opportunity of getting acquainted with this process, even though we lived in the city. Every year, when the wheat ripened, we would take a day to go out and watch the harvest. This year was no exception. As we arrived at my great uncle's farm, we spotted the combine making its rounds of the field, and we quickly scurried out of the car and made our way over to the field. My great uncle let us take rides in the combine as he harvested the wheat fields. There were two places that one could ride—inside the combine's cab where there was air conditioning, or outside in the hot and dusty summer air, under the sweltering harvest sun. I usually rode on the outside steps of the combine. There one could see the huge blades cutting the grain. After it was cut, the wheat kernels were separated from the chaff. The kernels went into the combine's holding bin, and the chaff was spewed out the top.
After the combine made each round, it would stop at the pick-up truck to empty all the wheat it had cut that round. When we had finished riding the combine, we would climb into the wheat, to play in the truck with the wheat kernels until the combine needed to dump again. When the truck finally filled with wheat, it was time to take it to the grain elevator. Sometimes my grandfather or one of my other great uncles would drive the truck, but this time we took it. Since my brother and sisters and I were still sort of small, we managed to fit all six of us (our parents too) in the truck cab, and we headed out. When we arrived at the large grain elevator, we had to weigh the truck. The lady at the little office there gave us some cold fruit pop, so we enjoyed some of that, as we were very hot. When we had emptied the truck into the elevator, we drove the empty truck back to the farm to be filled again!