View from the Cab: Harvest sights are right

By: Kent Casson

I have said it before and I’ll say it again: I have the best view in the world, especially this time of year.

We often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the harvest season around here but the other day, I had to pause and take in Mother Nature’s glory. I saw nothing but blue skies, sunshine and corn as far as the eye could see. Is there anything better? To me, this is what makes fall in Central Illinois.

Soybeans are shedding more leaves by the day, hints of yellow are appearing on the leaves of trees and the days are getting much shorter. Yes, October is here but some great weather days are ahead of us too. Get ready for bonfire nights with hot apple cider or hot chocolate and don’t forget the s’mores!

Football is in the air and you may have to even fire up the furnace for the first time very soon. If you can keep all of the bugs out, open a window or two in the house to let some fresh air in. These are the days when you start off with a jacket in the morning, t-shirt during the midday and a hoodie in the evening.

My family is partial to fall since all of our birthdays come within weeks of each other. Rebecca started off birthday season in our house last Friday with her big 40th! Kenadee’s was Sunday, mine is next Sunday, Kaislee’s is a few Sundays after that and Kasen’s birthday is about a month away. Whew, I’m tired already.

We finally have a decent start on our 2023 harvest season. My first soybean field was impressive and the corn we have been in so far isn’t bad. We just need to get the corn to dry down a bit faster as moisture levels were still pretty high the other day for certain seed varieties.

Recent rains weren’t all that bad as they kept the field fire threat away for a bit and took off more leaves from soybeans, bringing them closer to harvest. We just don’t need a tropical system to show up dumping several inches of rain. My goal is to be done with harvest by the end of October like last year. Let’s see if that happens.

The kids haven’t missed an opportunity to ride in the combine cab or the auger wagon tractor since harvest began. I always look forward to the time after school when Rebecca’s car pulls up to the end rows for the kids to take a spin with Dad. In a few short years, they’ll be the ones out there bringing in the crops.