The last crop of the year was harvested from our farm yesterday. The corn field at the back of our house is now stripped back to the stems. But it didn’t all go smoothly. On the first day of harvesting the combine was hindered by a leaky tire so they couldn’t finish. It spent the night by the corn field.

 

 

Early on the second day we received a knock on our door. Two men in worker-wear wanted to know if I was the farmer with the combine. No, I said, but I can take you to the machine. It’s out the back. Let me take my camera too, because combines are epic.

You usually think of harvest time as being warm and dry fall weather. But this corn is getting harvested late and it was a cold morning.

 

 

Some agricultural tires are so big that you need a truck with a lift arm to move them.

 

 

This John Deere 6910 was used to tow the trailers of corn. In France it is a cereal farmer’s tractor; a stock farmer would likely have one with a less powerful engine and front loader to move hay. On my farm I wouldn’t have so much use for the power and little desire to pay for the extra diesel.

In the USA the 6000 series Deere’s are often used as livestock farmer tractors since American farms are larger than French ones. 

 

 

The corn was harvested late – most of the corn on other farms was in over a month ago. The risk with late harvesting is that the wind and rain knock down the heavy and weakening stalks and a greater percentage of grain gets left out on the ground.  And if it is wet my paddock gets chopped up.

 

 

Since it is harvesting a corn field, this harvester has the corn head on it, the one with the big spikes.

 

 

I’m not the only boy with a fascination for combines. Otto raced out after me once he figured out what was going on.

 

 

Tosca likes to hunt for rabbits in the morning, and the combine may have aroused a few. She joined us for a run amongst the corn stalks.

 

 

The grapes have been harvested, the renter’s cows have gone and now the corn has been taken. So the farm is nearly free. The old vines are still in the ground, and the new owner of the vine rights will be removing the vines in the next few months.