Harvesting the Grain for the Pigs and Poultry

Then we use the combine to thrash the grain from the chaff and auger it into bin wagons
to haul to the barn for storage.
Without the weeds dry it makes combining very complicated.

Our older combine was able to handle the harvest, but very slowly.

Disappointedly, The amount of dry matter of weeds and stalks still caused much 'down' time.

Below is the action needed when too much biomass of 'stuff' got into the machine.

It kinda coughed and clogged.
We needed to use the pry bar to manually move the big gobble wheel inside the machine

and grasp the mass of weeds
(mostly foxtail)
that it couldn't sift through easily

And remove it from the machine.

We were grateful for  the help of a larger combine (below) to get the job done smoother without the constant interruption of unclogging our machine.
Hopefully the harvesting project will be completed next week.

For another year we hope to own a swather and be able to swath the crop before the weeds are overwhelming.
And maybe...we can experience less weeds pressure!
We have a special seed mixture to plant this fall ahead of next years crop.

We count it a privilege to be able to raise the grain
here on the farm
that we need to make feed for the pigs and poultry.
It is a high priority to have quality nutrition
for the sake of the animal's health,
and in turn; our own,
as we partake of earth's bounty.
We are the gatekeeper of our children's health.

This is our second year growing a mixed grain 
in place of corn and soybeans,
Our mentor Allen Williams, teaches that
growing a mixed variety benefits the plants and soil.   

 We are grateful for his encouragement.
We were very disheartened about the weeds and thistles that grew, but his gentle coaching helped us view it all
as part of nature
and go forward from here.

Thistle roots aggrogate the soil,
but the floating seeds are not appreciated
and we were very heavy hearted

for the sake of neighbors.