#Harvest 2013 begins early until the rain stops the momentum.

Our 2013 harvest starts very early this year and will continue throughout November and into early December. It is a time all hands are on deck as trucks, headers, chaser bins and utes align in one central point in the paddock that is being harvested. The first crop to be stripped was the barley, followed by oats and canola. That’s 170 acres, only 1900 to go!!

The days have been hot and dry and the crops are yielding quite well at this stage. Yesterday a cold wind started and a storm sat on the Weddin mountain threatening to stop the headers. I was out in the paddock helping Howard finish the oat crop. Howard had a terrible toothache and his face was swelling on one side. We decided to run into the doctors and this was a good decision because it started to get very painful. He certainly doesn’t need this at such a busy time.

It is raining today which is nice for my garden and it gives Howard a chance to recover from his toothache but it is not doing the crops any favors. Would you believe we have the fire alight  today because now the temperature has dropped to 10 degrees again and it quite miserable outside. We are in the office together which is great. I am learning how to watch the grain prices over harvest. Howard explains the price he would like to get  for each grain including canola, wheat, oats, barley and then the hay.  It will be my job to sell the grain when the price is at the level we have budgeted on.

We discuss our plan for the sheep and consider buying some cattle for a paddock we have near the house, full of feed. We talk about the wool and how the lambs are going. A couple of the new rams are in the hill and they need moving. Howard is looking at a new tractor so we add this to the budget and discuss how important it is for the business. Our hay production has grown over the past few years and the extra tractor will help for sure.

I enjoy learning more about the farm as we drink tea and make plans. The sun is coming out but it is still raining. We talk about the improvements that could be made on the farm and make a few phone calls about the tree grants our neighbor told us about. Howard called our accountant. I get a call from a lady wanting to join in my yoga classes but I explain that I am taking a harvest break. My yoga classes wont be running during November.

I will have to run to town now to pick up Howards script from the chemist, stock up on more groceries and post a letter to our boarding school girls. We will need extra supplies for some good packed lunches like ham, fresh rolls, fruit and biscuits. Having an esky full of food, a thermos full of tea and a fresh water bottle makes all the difference when you have to put in a 14 hour day.

Once the rain settles the silos will open, the headers will start up again, the trucks will start carting the grain and the family homes will have to adjust to the long hours and the worry of the wind, the storms, the dry and the fire threats. We are so close to bringing in our main income for the year but there is no champagne being popped just yet.