The console your hand is on at 2:50 could have been built where I work. That and the one next to it that I call the elephant ear. The how to drive a combine video was great. I'll have to try marshmallows in the live trap. Tuna work really well but sometimes I get a neighborhood cat or two first.
Great video, as always! I have been waiting for this to see if my questions would be answered but, they were not. Us city folks are in awe that you wait until the corn is almost dead! What is the reason for that? I hear you talking about "moisture content". Why is that important? How do you determine that before you harvest? More to come as you answer. Thanks again for your great insight to us that are trying to learn and understand.
In a somewhat simplistic answer the moisture content is very critical for storage reasons and sale purposes. Too wet will result in the crop being infested by pests and fungal diseases and becoming rotten and totally useless (it also happens to stink really badly too!) These pests and diseases are everywhere in the environment -on the plant at harvest time, in any of the harvesting, any haulage and storage facilities and equipment if they have not been adequately cleaned and possibly sprayed or fumigated, any remnants of old crop etc. etc........... In addition to this it is important to remember that each grain / kernel is alive (they are of course fundamentally seeds for the next crop) and will be respiring all the time even in store. One effect is that the the more wet the crop is the faster this respiration is going on and a side effect caused by respiration is that a minute amount of heat is produced by each seed. This heat encourages the bugs and moulds to form in the crop. The bigger the heap of grain especially if enclosed in a bin or some other form of storage accelerates this process dramatically quickly leading to a rotten crop. The solution used by most farms is to harvest the crop as dry as possible and once harvested ventilate it with large volumes of ambient air to keep the crop cool in store however this only works well if the air being pumped though the crop in store is dry enough to collect moisture from the grains (and dry the crop down to a safe level for storage) and carry the moisture out of the store in the air flow. However as you will be well aware we are moving into the Autumn / Fall weather which is naturally cooler but damper (higher humidity) which in turn means that the fresh air being pumped into the stored crop cannot collect moisture from the stored grains as it is too moist. At this point the farmer is left with basically two choices 1. Add heat to the air being pumped into the store as warm air will attract and collect more moisture from the grain and hence dry the grain and all being well carry it out of the store BUT as the air cools as it rises up through the store it will dump moisture anywhere it can (forming condensation) - generally in the upper layers in the store. Since most farmers in the USA store grain in really tall vertical bins this is a very real serious issue. As a result very few use this approach to dry and safely store a crop. Whereas in the UK and Europe, because our crops are not normally stored in this manner, and are harvested late July, August and early September, in fact harvest of combinable crops here for 2020 is now complete but only now getting underway in much of the USA and Canada for beans and corn. 2. It seems that the widely accepted, and safe reliable option for most farmers in the USA and Canada, is to invest and use a crop dryer to quickly remove excess moisture from the crop being harvested. This equipment is designed to use a high temperature, high volume of air being forced through a thin wall of grain which is usually slowly moving through the continuous dryer, so called because as the wet grain enters at the top and is dried as it moves down through the dryer and is removed at the lowest point when it has been designated as dry enough for storage. Most of these dryers have a section at the lowest level where cool air is blown through the crop to cool it otherwise moisture in the atmosphere will condense on the surface of each grain undoing some of the purpose of using a dryer. (Some folks also use what is called a batch dryer where the dryer is filled with wet cold grain. When full the furnace is lit and hot air is again pumped through the crop until it is dry enough. The heat is switched off and ambient cool air is blown through the batch to cool it. The grain is them emptied out and the dryer refilled and it is rinse and repeat all over again. Field assessment of MC% The vast majority of farmers that grow these crops have a device which measures quickly a grain sample of the crop. You collect a sample from the crop, remove the grains and put them in the tool and it will quickly give you a guide to the crop moisture in the field at that time. The bigger the field it is normal to collect and test several samples. There will be differences - some are quite large, as there are many influences on moisture % eg soil type, variety, maturity of that hybrid, air temperature, grain temperature and so on - it is only a guide! Some machines are easily portable others are usually more sophisticated (and often more accurate) and "office based frequently at the grain store". Incidentally if you collect a more random sample from the combine the test results are usually one to two % higher than a field test collected by a person in the field! Importance of MC% at sale time. Another important reason for monitoring MC% is that crops are traded at a recognised standard max moisture % - any wet grains delivered above the agreed % level to the buyer risk being rejected by the buyer or an increasingly savage deduction on the price agreed. If too dry then the buyer wins because they, simply put, are buying more grain and less water and of course the farmer is loosing out on potential yield and profit. (It appears that thus far many farmers are harvesting crops that are already too dry due to the summer drought together with reduced yields for the same reason.) Note a) Propane is the usual source of fuel used to dry a crop because it is infinitely controllable and usually monitored automatically. b) Most dryers have automatic monitoring and drying set of controls c) Whilst drying the crop is by far the most common system used to enable crop storage it is not the only method. Pickling the crop with an organic acid is quite often used by folks that are storing a crop to feed their livestock. Another method is air tight storage which is also used very successfully as a method for especially cattle feed. Hope this rather long winded explanation helps!
@@dodgebrothersfarmandranch9206 I'm sorry if my answer was in any way embarrassing. I just felt that as your more than busy enough harvesting I felt that this was something I could explain. I taught this subject to College ag students for a good number of years here in the UK. Whatever the crop the basic principles remain the same. I chose not to get into anaerobic storage nor organic acid treatment as I felt neither was relevant.
wife's family in Sheldahl and Cedar Rapids, got hit hard fields and houses. coming back slow............ didn't you get a service tech to put in your barn with that JD equipment, sometimes it's worse than owning a Jaguar
Yes I feel really bad for the folks that lost so much! As for the John Deere equipment, we have had at least 10 times more trouble with our one red tractor then we have with all the green equipment we’ve ever had.
I am generally 5 degrees colder than the local airport. How was the yield on the leaning corn? Maybe 2 or 3 bushels less and half-pound lighter bushels?
Hi. Soo, did the Insurance Lady come n reevaluate the damaged corn crop before harvesting? The GPS in the tractor is driving it down " the rows" planted n now is harvesting? When emptying corn in pit, does it immediately to up belt to large storage containers? What keeps critters out of the pit? My head would explode dealing with the computer in the tractor. Do you have a music playlist in tractor if only going 5 m/ hr? It's amazing, all that damaged corn stalks still produced so well it seems. Or did they? Thanks for taking us on your work day. Peace to you and yours
Yeah she came back and increased the damage estimate. The corn in the pit goes through and auger into the grain leg and up into the dryer. The grate on top of the pit keeps animals out
this was great. some great shots too. technology is amazing but no way most small farms could afford any of that equipment. love how the corn coming out looks like liquid.
Glad to see you get something after the storms. I am from South Africa and my dad was a corn farmer. We did not have the technology you have. I am now 71 and my dad died in 1978. Love your program though.
I was noticing the window hammer/seatbelt cutter behind you in the combine cab. Are accidents a worry -- rollover in a soft spot ,maybe? I have one here in Arizona because of the canals.
I think the manufacturer just puts that there to cover their liability butt. It would be pretty uncommon to overturn the combine and have to break out with a hammer.
Very nice update. I saw what you were doing with calibrating the yield monitor. It's all complicated and rocket-sciency, but then when you follow it step by step, it's just down to earth common sense after all. By the way here's a question I bet you won't be asked today ...does the new change to the Log Book (RODS) Air Mile Exemption affect your operation at all? I'm thinking it won't as I don't believe you drive that far away from the home farm, but 150 air miles is way more than 100 air miles ... a much bigger circle, covering way more farms. Keep at it, we're rooting for you.
Carl you did an outstanding job. You didn't run out of fuel in the combined and the semi and you didn't get stuck.. lol🤣🤣 I'm just picking on you. Hey Carl get er done
G'day Carl, you have reinforced my decision to use choppers to harvest corn and not combines :) Oh and wear a seatbelt, seen a video where an operator went thru the windscreen on a combine!!.
Seems like the weather turned cool really fast. Next week looks like good weather. How much sweet corn did you get? Catching up on your videos. Was in hospital for nine days with the COVID. Be careful and take it seriously. No idea where I got it but you do not need it during harvest.
Wow I’m sorry you had that covid hospital stay! That must have been terrible. The sweet corn didn’t yield great for freezing this year. We still got a fair amount but the quality wasn’t as good. I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy!
Good content 👍👍👍
Thanks!
Dodge Brothers Farm and Ranch your welcome👍
The console your hand is on at 2:50 could have been built where I work. That and the one next to it that I call the elephant ear. The how to drive a combine video was great. I'll have to try marshmallows in the live trap. Tuna work really well but sometimes I get a neighborhood cat or two first.
Elephant ear is a great name for that!
Good vidio
Thanks!
What’s the next steps for the corn? How’s it used?
It gets ground up for livestock feed
Thank you
Looking good. Just get it in.
Thanks Arthur!
Great video, as always! I have been waiting for this to see if my questions would be answered but, they were not. Us city folks are in awe that you wait until the corn is almost dead! What is the reason for that? I hear you talking about "moisture content". Why is that important? How do you determine that before you harvest?
More to come as you answer. Thanks again for your great insight to us that are trying to learn and understand.
In a somewhat simplistic answer the moisture content is very critical for storage reasons and sale purposes.
Too wet will result in the crop being infested by pests and fungal diseases and becoming rotten and totally useless (it also happens to stink really badly too!) These pests and diseases are everywhere in the environment -on the plant at harvest time, in any of the harvesting, any haulage and storage facilities and equipment if they have not been adequately cleaned and possibly sprayed or fumigated, any remnants of old crop etc. etc...........
In addition to this it is important to remember that each grain / kernel is alive (they are of course fundamentally seeds for the next crop) and will be respiring all the time even in store. One effect is that the the more wet the crop is the faster this respiration is going on and a side effect caused by respiration is that a minute amount of heat is produced by each seed. This heat encourages the bugs and moulds to form in the crop. The bigger the heap of grain especially if enclosed in a bin or some other form of storage accelerates this process dramatically quickly leading to a rotten crop.
The solution used by most farms is to harvest the crop as dry as possible and once harvested ventilate it with large volumes of ambient air to keep the crop cool in store however this only works well if the air being pumped though the crop in store is dry enough to collect moisture from the grains (and dry the crop down to a safe level for storage) and carry the moisture out of the store in the air flow.
However as you will be well aware we are moving into the Autumn / Fall weather which is naturally cooler but damper (higher humidity) which in turn means that the fresh air being pumped into the stored crop cannot collect moisture from the stored grains as it is too moist.
At this point the farmer is left with basically two choices
1. Add heat to the air being pumped into the store as warm air will attract and collect more moisture from the grain and hence dry the grain and all being well carry it out of the store BUT as the air cools as it rises up through the store it will dump moisture anywhere it can (forming condensation) - generally in the upper layers in the store.
Since most farmers in the USA store grain in really tall vertical bins this is a very real serious issue. As a result very few use this approach to dry and safely store a crop. Whereas in the UK and Europe, because our crops are not normally stored in this manner, and are harvested late July, August and early September, in fact harvest of combinable crops here for 2020 is now complete but only now getting underway in much of the USA and Canada for beans and corn.
2. It seems that the widely accepted, and safe reliable option for most farmers in the USA and Canada, is to invest and use a crop dryer to quickly remove excess moisture from the crop being harvested. This equipment is designed to use a high temperature, high volume of air being forced through a thin wall of grain which is usually slowly moving through the continuous dryer, so called because as the wet grain enters at the top and is dried as it moves down through the dryer and is removed at the lowest point when it has been designated as dry enough for storage. Most of these dryers have a section at the lowest level where cool air is blown through the crop to cool it otherwise moisture in the atmosphere will condense on the surface of each grain undoing some of the purpose of using a dryer.
(Some folks also use what is called a batch dryer where the dryer is filled with wet cold grain. When full the furnace is lit and hot air is again pumped through the crop until it is dry enough. The heat is switched off and ambient cool air is blown through the batch to cool it. The grain is them emptied out and the dryer refilled and it is rinse and repeat all over again.
Field assessment of MC%
The vast majority of farmers that grow these crops have a device which measures quickly a grain sample of the crop. You collect a sample from the crop, remove the grains and put them in the tool and it will quickly give you a guide to the crop moisture in the field at that time. The bigger the field it is normal to collect and test several samples. There will be differences - some are quite large, as there are many influences on moisture % eg soil type, variety, maturity of that hybrid, air temperature, grain temperature and so on - it is only a guide! Some machines are easily portable others are usually more sophisticated (and often more accurate) and "office based frequently at the grain store". Incidentally if you collect a more random sample from the combine the test results are usually one to two % higher than a field test collected by a person in the field!
Importance of MC% at sale time.
Another important reason for monitoring MC% is that crops are traded at a recognised standard max moisture % - any wet grains delivered above the agreed % level to the buyer risk being rejected by the buyer or an increasingly savage deduction on the price agreed. If too dry then the buyer wins because they, simply put, are buying more grain and less water and of course the farmer is loosing out on potential yield and profit. (It appears that thus far many farmers are harvesting crops that are already too dry due to the summer drought together with reduced yields for the same reason.)
Note
a) Propane is the usual source of fuel used to dry a crop because it is infinitely controllable and usually monitored automatically.
b) Most dryers have automatic monitoring and drying set of controls
c) Whilst drying the crop is by far the most common system used to enable crop storage it is not the only method. Pickling the crop with an organic acid is quite often used by folks that are storing a crop to feed their livestock. Another method is air tight storage which is also used very successfully as a method for especially cattle feed.
Hope this rather long winded explanation helps!
Dan Whiteford thank you for the great explanation!
@@Dan.Whiteford That was a great explanation!!
Wow i stopped in to answer this question and dan knocked it out of the park!
@@dodgebrothersfarmandranch9206
I'm sorry if my answer was in any way embarrassing. I just felt that as your more than busy enough harvesting I felt that this was something I could explain. I taught this subject to College ag students for a good number of years here in the UK. Whatever the crop the basic principles remain the same.
I chose not to get into anaerobic storage nor organic acid treatment as I felt neither was relevant.
Enjoy all your video's , great family
Thanks Ken!
Great video Carl
Thanks!
What is custom work?
It’s just a fancy term for when someone pays us a fee per acre to harvest their crops
Great video Karl hope you guys have a safe Harvest.
Thanks!
wife's family in Sheldahl and Cedar Rapids, got hit hard fields and houses. coming back slow............ didn't you get a service tech to put in your barn with that JD equipment, sometimes it's worse than owning a Jaguar
Yes I feel really bad for the folks that lost so much! As for the John Deere equipment, we have had at least 10 times more trouble with our one red tractor then we have with all the green equipment we’ve ever had.
Great video...as usual. Even with all of the challenges of farming, watching the rivers of corn and beans flowing from augers makes it worth it.
Thanks Thomas! It’s the best time of the year!
Does the corn and beans get damaged by repeatedly running them through augers?
Yes to a certain extent. You want to limit the number of trips though an auger. It isn’t much damage, but it isn’t perfect
You are one lucky fella getting to drive all that equipment and keeping the techno part honest as well. Great Job Sir.
I don’t let myself forget what a great life I have!
Great video
Thanks David!
I am generally 5 degrees colder than the local airport. How was the yield on the leaning corn? Maybe 2 or 3 bushels less and half-pound lighter bushels?
It’s hard to say what it would have been if it wasn’t blown down, but it looks like it was about 50-70 bushels per acre less than it should have been.
Did you trap the coon?
I tried but he didn’t come back 🤣
Love your positivity, excellent video 🏴
Thanks James! There’s no sense in being a Scrooge.
I heard you mention 23-24 % moisture. How is the test weight looking? Good luck with harvest.
The rest weight is ok. Between 55 and 56
Hi. Soo, did the Insurance Lady come n reevaluate the damaged corn crop before harvesting? The GPS in the tractor is driving it down " the rows" planted n now is harvesting? When emptying corn in pit, does it immediately to up belt to large storage containers? What keeps critters out of the pit? My head would explode dealing with the computer in the tractor. Do you have a music playlist in tractor if only going 5 m/ hr? It's amazing, all that damaged corn stalks still produced so well it seems. Or did they? Thanks for taking us on your work day. Peace to you and yours
Yeah she came back and increased the damage estimate.
The corn in the pit goes through and auger into the grain leg and up into the dryer. The grate on top of the pit keeps animals out
this was great. some great shots too. technology is amazing but no way most small farms could afford any of that equipment. love how the corn coming out looks like liquid.
It really does look like liquid! Around here we are considered a small to medium sized farm. Thanks for watching Jacob!
Do you have to have a commercial driver's license to drive the semi?
I have a Class A CDL, but they just changed the regulations so that farm drivers only need a chauffeurs license or something.
@@dodgebrothersfarmandranch9206 Thanks. I was wondering if they gave farmers any kind of a break on that.
Always enjoyable, keith 🇬🇧.
Thanks!
Glad to see you get something after the storms. I am from South Africa and my dad was a corn farmer. We did not have the technology you have. I am now 71 and my dad died in 1978. Love your program though.
It’s so cool to hear from people all over the world. Thanks!
Good to see you were able to pick up the crooked corn.
I was noticing the window hammer/seatbelt cutter behind you in the combine cab. Are accidents a worry -- rollover in a soft spot ,maybe? I have one here in Arizona because of the canals.
I think the manufacturer just puts that there to cover their liability butt. It would be pretty uncommon to overturn the combine and have to break out with a hammer.
Okay, great dialog. Very interesting.
Thanks! Glad you watched!
Very nice update. I saw what you were doing with calibrating the yield monitor. It's all complicated and rocket-sciency, but then when you follow it step by step, it's just down to earth common sense after all. By the way here's a question I bet you won't be asked today ...does the new change to the Log Book (RODS) Air Mile Exemption affect your operation at all? I'm thinking it won't as I don't believe you drive that far away from the home farm, but 150 air miles is way more than 100 air miles ... a much bigger circle, covering way more farms. Keep at it, we're rooting for you.
Good question! We only go 7 miles from the home base so we won’t be affected.
Is it my imagination, or do you not harvest the beans with the rows, but diagonal to them?
@kerryithm2 still don't know why they are harvested diagonal to the rows....
Carl you did an outstanding job.
You didn't run out of fuel in the combined and the semi and you didn't get stuck.. lol🤣🤣 I'm just picking on you. Hey Carl get er done
I can always count on you for some good old fashioned ribbing!
God Bless the American Farmer
I just found you, and you sold me! I'm a new subscriber!
Hey thanks Will!
G'day Carl, you have reinforced my decision to use choppers to harvest corn and not combines :)
Oh and wear a seatbelt, seen a video where an operator went thru the windscreen on a combine!!.
Well normally the combine works great! Was that Matt Griggs that the video was about?
@@dodgebrothersfarmandranch9206 Yes Carl, Matt Griggs.
Technology is great when it works! Good luck trapping that ‘coon!!!
That bugger came back twice more but as soon as I set a trap out with corn and marshmallows he didn’t show up...
Sounds about right! They’re crafty critters! Try a hot dog according to my wife. 👌
Seems like the weather turned cool really fast. Next week looks like good weather. How much sweet corn did you get? Catching up on your videos. Was in hospital for nine days with the COVID. Be careful and take it seriously. No idea where I got it but you do not need it during harvest.
Wow I’m sorry you had that covid hospital stay! That must have been terrible. The sweet corn didn’t yield great for freezing this year. We still got a fair amount but the quality wasn’t as good. I’m doing everything I can to stay healthy!
Farmers never stop!!
👍👍
Cat food is a great bait for those rascals raccoons
That’s good advice! I will get that sucker!
Hi! Greetings from germany! I´m a gardener for ornamental plants! In Fall i´m helping on 1500 acre farm.!
Lucky you! I hope you enjoy helping them!
@@dodgebrothersfarmandranch9206 Yes! I Do!
Catch that serial pooper. I want to see the guilty party.
Me too!
Raccoons love marshmellows! We caught 5 of them using marshmellows!
That’s what I used!
Use sardines in your trap and you will catch that raccoon it works every time
First
Good job!
👍👍