Fall Harvest
Corn is getting picked and we're preparing to cut milo. This is the time of year in which harvest dominates much of a farmers time and resources. Always make sure you're looking out for yourself whether you're on the combine, tractor, or truck. A good way to do this is to make sure your insurance is up-to-date to coverage of all your crops and equipment.
Remember to use your flashers while driving on roadways, you're a slow moving vehicle, and others need to know about it.
Be sure you and fellow harvesters are experienced with the equipment before the harvesting begins, this will cut down on costly stops in harvest.
Try to clean mud and other debris from equipment to prevent falls and potential fires.
Stay alert while doing your various harvesting jobs, accidents often happen because of inattention or distractions.
ALWAYS shut down equipment before working on a breakdown.
Never stand in grain that is being moved.
Be aware, always know where people are, since harvest equipment is so large is near impossible to see around you.
And, remember the rule from the defensive driving course we offer in the spring:
If you're in reverse, you're already in trouble.
Another worrisome question farmers are asking themselves is, Are my crops victims of aflatoxin? Before you put this grain in storage or sell it, please give samples for testing. They should be from representative sample areas of the fields. Once tested the levels of aflatoxin are determined, it can range anywhere from just discounting the price to the requirement to destroy the grain.
Antitoxin can worsen in storage, because of that losses from aflatoxin are only insurable if the grain is tested at a facility before being moved into any kind of storage. Aflatoxin is nothing but a fungi that is either in or on foods, it is influenced by certain environment conditions. It can effect dairy products, wheat, soybeans, and corn. In Kansas our main concern is aflatoxin infected corn.
Below is a photo from the farm I grew up on in Montezuma, KS.
