I have been a bit absent from my blog this last month. Mostly due to the fact I have been engulfed in grass seed harvest. We are now down to our last week! Thank goodness!
I currently have some time to kill in the field so I thought I would share a few photos from harvest!
These are known as windrowers or swathers and they cut the grass.
A view from the cab, put the cut grass into rows.
After the grass seed has dried for about 10 days or in our case this summer, hasn’t been rained on long enough that moisture is low enough we start combining to thrash the seed out.
Seed going into the tank.
The type of header we use allows us to “pickup” the row.
Seed!
Truck loaded & headed for the warehouse to be cleaned. We clean our own seed.
Warehouse.
After seed has been harvested then it is time to bale the straw. Since our harvest is during summer break, our crew is full of teenagers eager to make some money. Nolan, the kid operating the rake, is 14. This is his first summer job.
A baler operator is Tosh, she just finished her freshman year at Oregon State, her attention to detail has made her one of the best baler operators in the valley!
This is what I drive, the Bale Chaser! I stack the bales up & make pretty rows.
However, this was my first stack, not what it’s supposed to look like.
This is more like it.
The fuel line in the mornings during harvest.
My papa bear & I!
Did I mention a third of our farm is on the other side of Eugene/Springfield which requires us to drive equipment through town.
One of our two wheat fields, only about a third of our farm’s soil is suitable to grow wheat on.
The best part about harvest, the sunsets. 
I apologize that I haven’t posted regularly but hopefully you enjoyed these photos and I’ll soon return to somewhat regular posts.
Also, I am always posting on my facebook page with pictures, comments & articles so be sure to check it out!
Let me know if you have any questions about grass seed harvest or Oregon agriculture & I’d be happy to answer!
Great photos. Who do you sell your straw to?
Hi Judi, there are several straw presses in the Willamette Valley and various trucking & broker companies. We sell through them or to the press directly then it is shipped overseas usually.
This is one of the best posts i have ever seen.keep up the great work….
Thank you very much!
Really enjoyed reading your post and learning about how you farm!!! Can’t wait to meet you ACFC!!
Thanks! I look forward to meeting you as well! It should be a fantastic time!
Excellent!
Thanks!
Really interesting to see!
I remember when I first met you and I was explaining carrot seed!
Great pictures! Maybe we use some of your seed here on the east coast?
Thank you! It’s possible you use some of our seed, what variety do you use?
What type of grasses do you raise? Alot of the grass seed that we puchase originates from Oregon.
We raise mostly annual ryegrass & fescue.
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