Move 'Em Out

     It's time to ship out the onions here in Owyhee County. That means I get to share a fancy new implement with you.

     Here are a couple such implements along with a semi-truck and it's trailer. They're Onion Loaders and they load onions, obviously. They have to lift the onions off the ground (not so easy as it sounds when you're a machine) and lift them high enough to get them into a truck without smashing them.

     Here is the simpler of the two machines. On the left is where the onions are picked up. Using the same paddle wheel as the onion topper to push the onions onto a conveyor chain. From there the chain carries the onions over the wheels (the wheels turn so that you can make tight corners) to the elevator in the rear. That's the tall standing part on the right and it lifts the onions up high enough to get over the wall of a truck's bed.

     Here you see the rear of the more complex machine. It's elevator is square and sideways because this machine is also an onion topper. It blows the cut leaves out through the middle of the square, as I'm sure you can see. After that, it's just a matter of using the boom to drop the onions in. It can be raised up and down so that you don't drop the onions too far.

     These are both very complicated machines, so they take a pretty talented driver to run them. On the machine itself, there are platforms where people can stand and sort out rejectamenta such as: rocks, clods, bad onions, and onions that are the wrong variety. Three ladies manned this loader, one is on the ground at the moment this picture was taking. The ground person's job was to move any onions that would otherwise be run over, and to pick up any that were missed.

     It's a job that requires good senses and concentration. The idea is to get every onion, and to not get anything else. Every hour of every day that it's dry enough to load onions, this crew will be busy for quite some time. I hope that the weather holds out for them.

Not Quite

     I took a look at a popcorn field today. Here is what I saw...

     Just a regular ol' corn field. Can you see how large the ears have gotten? It won't be long now.

     These are the waning days for this corn field. And its denizens as well. This ladybug will have to find another home soon.

     As will it's icky prey. This is a pile of Pea Aphids. I'm pretty sure they're mostly dead.

     Nearby, a crime scene unfolds. Two sets of tracks mark the passing of corn thieves! One set belongs to a raccoon, the other to something else.

     In a totally unrelated story, I acquired an ear from the very same field. It might look done, but its not. The kernels are still a bit soft. They won't be ready to harvest, or pop, for a bit.
     Corn picking time is coming! I'll keep you posted.

Trimmin'

     Here in Owyhee County the farmers are getting ready to harvest their onions. And just like young recruits into the military, these onions need a trim.

     Enter the Onion Topper. It's a nifty implement that turns this:

     Into this:

     As you can see, most of those dried up leaves are gone.

     It's a pretty simple process. First, these flap wheels push the onions onto a conveyor chain. A conveyor chain functions just like a conveyor belt, but the gaps in the chain allow round things like onions to be lifted up a shallow incline, amongst other things.

     Here you see the side of the machine. That big roundy piece on the left is a massive fan. It blows air down that square conduit. There's a fan on each side of the machine.

     That air comes underneath the chain and blows strait up. (That's the other things conveyor chains are handy for as air doesn't blow very well through belts.) The air carries the leaves so that they stand up, where a sickle bar (Which I have highlighted in yellow, since it's so dark in there.) cuts them off and the air blows them out the back.

     The onions, now ready to enter the marketplace with their professional leaf-cuts, just slide out the back in nice neat rows.
     It won't be long till that bright shiny onion up there is on it's way to the sheds. But there's still a few things that need done in the mean time. I'll do my best to tell you all about it.

Looking Around

     Yet again I was unable to find anything new to post about. But, that in no way means that there's nothing to show!

     The air was heavy this morning (so far as air goes) so this smoke had trouble floating very high. But the real story here is the onion skins. They glow like rubies in the morning sun. That implement back there? That's an onion topper, but I'm hoping for a full post on it, so I'm not telling any more about it right now.

     This picture sums up what's mostly going on in Owyhee Agriculture right now. I've already covered all of this at length. So, moving on to something a bit more picturesque.

     You know those people that you see every day but you've never actually met? I'm like that with a large host of animals. This is a big horse. It's hard to get scale unless you have a really good eye for fence posts. I thought he looked especially dapper this morning with his halter (he usually doesn't have one) and his recently brushed hair.

     Here's and interesting site. What is it, you ask? It's a Golden Eagle on a thing that used to be how the irrigation water got around. Now it it's an excellent perch for this rare visitor.

     Here is a farmer, out standing in his field, as the saying goes. (It's a pun.) Working away while the cattle eat away. And that's basically the way it goes at this time a year. Everything is just doing what it needs to. That's good news for you, the consumer. Not so good news for blog folk. Oh well, there's lots of pictures to take.

Feeling Fallish

     Still nothing new to report, but I do have some pictures to share. (And maybe a bit of info.)

     It's Autumn now here in most of North America. It's getting cooler, (despite the fact that we're 15 °F hotter than most years) particularly in the evenings. The days are also getting shorter.

     Work continues as usual, as the last two pictures show. For the most part the farmers will spend most of their day working the soil, with irrigating and haying taking up time as necessary. Many harvests continue on as well.

     It's a good time to be a cow. (This lovely cow is a Jersey, one of my favorite types of cattle.) It's not too hot, not too cold, and the grass is still growing pretty well.

     It's also a good time to be a Quail. (California, to be specific.) The coveys are thick with mostly mature broods from this year. There's also lots to eat. Quail are unrivaled gleaners and there are many seeds around. Soon they'll have to be very wary for human hunters as well as their standard predators.

     What says Autumn more than pumpkins? (The answer is: not much.) These are out of a garden. I don't know of any pumpkin fields in this county, there usually are in neighboring counties.
     Still lots more left to do in the year. (The onion harvest, for example.) Even if I don't have much to tell you about, I'll do my best to bring you images of whatever is happening.

Postless

     Nothing to report today, folks. I'll be back Monday.

Bye-Bye Bull Row

     Here's a fun thing:

     It's your standard high-tractor that a person might mount a spray rig on. But this one just has these two boxes you see in the front there. Those boxes have these in them:

     What looks like something a super villain on a spy movie might use to attempt to chop up the good guy is actually for chopping down bull rows. (You all remember what a bull row is, don't you?) The bull rows have outlived their usefulness and are now in the way. These wheels spin, and by doing so, remove the bull rows. (two at a time)

     In some fields, they only chop out a few yards, (or meters) others they go all the way across. What's left is a nice big nothing to get in the way of the corn chopper, which will be coming in a week or so.
     Everywhere I go, people tell me they're afraid of corn fields for some reason. (too many movies, I think) Well, for those people, this machine evens the odds a bit. See you back here tomorrow for more spine-tingling adventure!

Wednesday Morning

     The sun rises over Owyhee County. Actually it rises over Canyon County, but it gets here eventually. (See the dew?) The Agricultural sector is already hard at work.

     This is an Onion Lifter. Can you believe I missed it? They were just pulling out of their last field as I came along. It's a pretty simple piece of equipment. It drags that bottom bar (as it rotates) through the dirt just beneath the onions, lifting them out of the soil and breaking up any dirt that is attached to their roots. Since it's underground, I suppose pictures of the lifter working wouldn't have been very enlightening.

     Onion harvest must be right around the corner. These workers move back the ends of the rows so that they don't get run over by the harvester.

     And irrigation continues. It's hard (or awkward might be a better word) to get pictures of folks doing their irrigation. They're constantly on the move, so it's difficult to know where they'll be. And then, more often then not, they'll just stare at me until I leave. (like I said, awkward) 
     Still lots going on, no matter how bad I am at catching them on camera. But tomorrow's another day, and who knows what sort of zany (maybe not the best word...) things I'll take pictures of.

Winding Down

     It's not that the farmers and ranchers are winding down, they're just as busy as every. If this morning is any indication, though, the blog may be running out of things to be about.

     The farmers were hard at work. Unfortunately they were doing things I've already covered: discing, plowing, planting.

     Not having much to take pictures of, action-wise, does give a person some time to take some nice landscapes, (even if the cattle weren't cooperating...) but there's not much agriculture to describe here.

     That said, agriculture continues on. From the sounds of things, it looks like the farmers (Like this one who was moving his wheel line. See him?) will have water until the end of October. So long as the weather stays relatively nice, this is really good news.
     The point is, even if I don't have anything new to tell you, agriculture continues on. Hopefully tomorrow, I'll be able to share something new.

Early Riser And Late Bloomer

     It's Monday morning, I'm sure you've noticed. Are you up bright and early? These are...

     These are the sprouts of the alfalfa seed that was planted just a few days ago. That's quite a feat, even for these amazing little plants.

     They are quite numerous and the time they spend growing this fall will give them a big boost for next year!

     This seed popcorn, on the other hand is still just growing. In fact, the ear I picked at random was still developing.

     It's got quite a ways to go. Many others are much more developed and it won't be long until they're all fully grown.
     Farming isn't really something you can schedule. (Not very precisely, anyhow.) Some crops will surprise you and grow like crazy, while others may lag behind. At the very least, it keeps the farmers on their toes. Blog authors too. (Blauthors?) Enjoy your Monday!

Soggy

     Last night, the storm clouds rolled in and brought with them a bit of rain...

     Which is not a problem for irrigation. In fact, it's kind of nice.

     But in the fields that are being harvested, it's kind of a wrench in the works. What beans and alfalfa are still in the fields will have to dry out before they can be combined. So the farmers will have to occupy themselves elsewhere, and the combines will have to wait.

     That's all for this Friday. Have a great weekend!

Picture Day

     We awoke to a cool and cloudy morning here in Owyhee County. So all the farmers started to work their dirt. Since I've covered all that pretty extensively, I think I'll show you some pictures instead.

     Everybody loves snakes, right? No? Okay fine. This little guy (a garter snake, I think...) didn't want to leave his warm spot on the road. Don't worry, I scared him off so he wouldn't get run over.

     To make up for the snake, here's a pretty flower. This is from the author's grandparent's house. True to their name, these morning glories only open in the morning. (and are quite glorious)

     We've got this dust in some places of Owyhee County that puts other dust to shame. It's lighter and poofier (Whatever spellcheck says, I still say it's a word.) than flour. Its terrible for getting on your clothes, and in your house, but it's great for leaving tracks! Does anybody know what makes these funny tracks? (I do.)

     To finish off, I'm going to leave you with last night's sunset. This, I feel, is one of the best pictures I've taken to date. So if you click it, you'll get a full resolution version. It's big! Have a great day!

Just So You Know

     It's harvest season (as I'm sure you've realized) but there's an unfortunate side effect to this: Stealing.

      This onion is inviting and delicious looking, so much so, that some are unable not to take a few.

     Most people receive a paycheck every couple of weeks or so. A farmer receives one in a year, and much of that has already been spent on what was needed to grow the produce. If everyone that came alone could take a bit of your paycheck, you'd be pretty ticked.

     So while a person might justify their actions by saying that its only one onion or one peach, justifying is all they'll be doing. Stealing is wrong. That said, sometimes there is produce that is left behind for various reasons. Talk to a farmer, (the actual farmer, not just any person that's out there) and they may very well tell you that there is something that you can take or is for sale. It'll probably be cheaper than in the store.
     The point is: Treat your local farmers like human beings. Like you would want to be treated.