Some Not-so-Fun Jobs

     Every occupation has its share of jobs that are tedious but necessary.  Here follows a couple of my least favorite farm tasks.

     The pile of chaff you see clinging to the side of the combine is less than the tip of the ice berg.  It is easily dislodged with compressed air (easier if you get to it before it rains and glues it to the combine).

   The ice berg in this case resides underneath the operator’s platform.  Here is the “harvest” from that field:

     The “harvester” in this case is a combination of shop vac, compressed air, and a good old human arm.

      Before shop vac, that job was done manually, one fistful at a time while kneeling or lying on top of the feeder house.  Not much fun.  So why do it if it will only fill up again next harvest?  Moisture always accumulates in the mulch and rusts the metal is one reason.  Mice are a second reason.  They find it a nice place to nest with lots of material and even a food supply.

     There are four filters on top of the cab, two dry and two wet that have to be cleansed.  The engine, its compartment and air filters all have to be done, and the residue of grain in the bottom of the bin has to be cleaned out.  The bottom of the bin wouldn’t be too bad if it weren’t for the unloading auger and the auger shield over the auger.  The auger flights are sharp, and you are on hands and knees in the bin bottom.  This year we had enough showers that there was wheat growing in the bin bottom.  It hangs on to the metal pretty well.  A pancake turner and compressed air worked pretty well.

    All in all, it’s about a day’s job to remove the header, clean and stow it in the shed, clean the main machine and stow it.

    Here it is where it will spend the next eleven months.  Its roommate is a fifties version that hasn’t been out of the shed in twenty years.  Know anybody who wants a 60-year-old combine?

Once it’s in place, drain the oil, change the filter, fill with new oil, and you’re good to go next year.

    A little higher on the un-fun list is putting the windrower away. It has to come out to get the combine out. The header is 15’ 11 3/4” and the door is 16’.

    Everything is home now.  On to unlovable job #2—bindweed eradication.  Here is a patch that has straggled on for 20 years:

      Those cute little white flowers are bindweed blossoms.  The weed may take a year or two off, but it then springs back.  The seed can lay dormant for many years and then sprout and go.  Banvel and Torodon to the rescue.  You have to have a license to buy and use Torodon, a restricted-use pesticide.  The license costs $100 and a few hours of studying and test-taking, renewable every two years.  I use a hand sprayer, about three gallons of spray on this spot.  Of course the sprayer has to be cleaned, and then, me, too. (Do you suppose it’s cleaning things I don’t like?)

    Those jobs are all done and it’s back to farming.

     I got interrupted by rain!  Two thirds of an inch of gentle shower over a few hours!  We missed the ugly tornadic cloud about six miles north.  It chased me out of the field.