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Iowa | Since many of you seem to be having the sort of harvest season I had last year, I thought I'd share a few memories and things to consider. Some of you may not have encountered a late harvest before. None of this is really anything new or unexpected. Most of you will probably find this to be as useless as a public service announcement about the dangers of hot coffee. This is for those of you who do not know it all. If I don't tell you something you don't already know, maybe someone else will add something new to the list.
-You'll be working in the dark a lot. Get a good flashlight. I like the 18 volt De Walt.
-You'll also likely encounter a lot of wet snow. Buy some extra cloths and chore gloves.
-Anything that does not start easy when cold needs to be parked near an outlet at the end of the day. I usually had to get up an extra half hour early to get everything started.
-Hopefully, your latest and best standing corn is planted closest to home. The county will not likely be too concerned about taking care of the back roads on icy days when people are all over the ditches on the main roads. You'll need a backup plan to keep the corn moving when the roads get icy.
-If the dryer ever shuts down, pressure switches that control the fill auger on top of the dryer can freeze up and result in a pile of corn on the ground (in the snow).
-Running lots of wet corn through the dryer will cause the outside screen to plug with wet crap that sticks like tar. It's lots of fun to remove with a powerwasher at the end of the day. You might as well buy some good rain gear now. Make sure you have a good ladder and enough hose to reach the dryer.
-Goofy things can happen like a chunk of ice falling off the top of the dryer and breaking a paddle switch that would otherwise shut the dryer down if something goes wrong with the transfer system that takes the corn away. That same chunk of ice or another like it can get into an auger and disable the transfer system. The result is another pile of corn in a snow bank.
-If you are used to 40 degree harvest temperatures, but now it’s ten below and the burner on the dryer keeps going out, maybe you need to adjust the pressure regulator.
-None of the delivery points like snow mixed with the corn. I could run it through the dryer at home, but it was out of the question elsewhere. There seemed to be a good chance that any wagon left out overnight could have some snow in it by morning.
-A little snow or ice on the corn usually did not bother the combine, especially if the temperatures were well below freezing. When near freezing, the snow and ice will mix with fines to form a layer of crud that will stick to the chaffer and sieve. Keep an extra sharp eye on grain loss out the back.
-The spring tension on the gathering chains can get frozen with wet snow and dirt, causing feeding problems when the chain will not stay tight. It usually shows up first thing in the morning.
-Don't leave anything you'll want to use again before spring laying on the ground. It could get froze down or lost under the snow.
-The crop will have more fines. There is also a temptation to skimp on the drying to get it out of the field faster. I had a couple bins start to heat up in the center before harvest was half done. I think the uneven moisture of the corn coming out of the field was part of the problem. In any case, one needs to watch the bins closely with this sort of a crop.
-When delivering corn to town after the snow and ice flies, one is likely to encounter road salt. It is nasty stuff and hard to clean off in December when there are very few days above freezing. There is not much good opportunity to clean up the combine like normal. All the fines and a little spilled corn around the dryer tend to be under a snow bank and will have to wait until spring to be cleaned up.
-Get some short screws to put in the bottom of your boots. They can work like studs to keep you from slipping on the ice. There are a lot of ways to get hurt during harvest, and even more when harvest runs late. Be careful. It increases the odds of getting another chance on another day.
-If someone offers to help and is able to do so, take it.
-Remember that a late harvest is not the end of the world. Keep your sense of humor. You'll have some good stories to tell for years to come. The corn will eventually dry in the field. The daylight hours will start to get longer before the end of the year!
Good luck and be safe. We are about to earn our pay.
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Late Harvest Experience
