Wheat Harvest: Picture Diary

First, I want to thank the Colby , KS library for the use of their computer. I also want to thank God for the rain (dont' tell the boss) that gives me time off for internet use.

So here are a few pictures and brief headings which are snapshots into my life here on harvest.

2 (of the nine) combines loading a (one of the 10) truck


Big storms bring hail=destruction for the corn crop.

Kyda, the boss's daughter. Runs around being cute.

The map I keep in my truck. Colby is the big box near the bottom.

This is one the grain elevators we haul to.
Frontier Co-op, Brewster, KS

Rain Day.

More rain day. Boss paid for the whole crew.

Chuck wagon....Errrrr, Chevy Pickup

New Wheels, For me anyhow.
The old ones had holes that let wheat in everytime I jumped into my loaded truck.

Day's half done.

3 of the 9

Um ...Boss ....we lost the hitch.
Ready to head north.

Bad wheat= Time to nap.
Anywhere, anytime

Tidbit of Info: Pay.
The formula for a harvest crew getting paid goes something like this. There are three seperate calculations all added together. 1-Per acre, 2-Per bushel, and 3-Overage.
Per acre is just that, ABOUT $15-18 dollars per acre harvested regardless of yeild. Per bushel is also just that, ABOUT 15-18 cents per bushel that we haul. Overage is like a bonus that the harvesters get if the average yield is over 20 bu/ac. Last year was a good year and many fields got 40 bu/ac or more. This year they say 20 is the average, but many are not harvested because they are too poor. Yesterday we were cutting a field that was at about 5 bu/ac.
I get paid a monthly salary, + room a board. He also does things like pay for us to go to the races and such. So on days like this I still get paid to check my e-mail. But yesterday We started aobut 8 and I got back to the trailer just before midnight.