Barley Harvest

(See how long you can go reading this post without getting that classic Sting song, "Fields of Gold," stuck in your head!)

Another phase of harvest is more or less complete as of yesterday-- our barley has been cut. During the barley harvest this year, I realized that I don't think I have ever written much about barley during harvest, or really any other time. So, I rode around with Jeff for a few rounds in the truck a few nights ago and snapped a bunch of photos.

First of all, I should say that the barley crop was actually that of Tom and Carol. Tom has raised barley every year since I've been living here and always has a great crop, especially for dryland farming. Jeff has referred to him as the "Barley Wizard" from time to time. This year was another good year for his barley crop.

Tom is in the combine, emptying barley into the red truck, which Stennie is driving.

 Jeff and I had actually wanted to grow some barley on our own farm ground this year, but were not able to get a contract. My understanding is that barley is a crop that you have to have a contract with an elevator or malt plant in order to raise it, promising them so many bushels, etc. If you don't have a contract, you may be stuck with your crop, unable to haul it anywhere, or only able to haul it to an elevator very far away because they're the only one who will take it. So, since were not able to secure a contract, we didn't raise any.

Photo a little fuzzy with the sunlight, but I still really like it. Can you pick out the farm and then the Sweetgrass Hills in the background? 

 Barley is great in a crop rotation because it has different nutrient needs from wheat. Barley's roots also grow differently in the ground, so it breaks up the soil a little differently, too.

Another kind of fuzzy photo, but I just love the mood of this photo. We have had some great skies lately!

 Barley dust has a way of sticking to sweaty skin, which then makes a person's whole body feel itchy. Of course, our hottest days of harvest so far this year were the days we were cutting barley. Stennie has been a real trooper for signing on and sticking with us! Although, I am thinking we talked it up so much that maybe it was actually slightly less itchy than she expected? I hope?!

Thumbs Up for Barley! 

Love this view through several windows out to the combine. 

Tarping up the truck by the light of the setting sun.

Among the fields of barley... 

 Barley looks pretty similar to wheat, but has a longer awn. Read a bit about awn here: Farm Awn. Also, when barley is ripe, the head kind of gets that sad, laying down look. This is because the kernels are so heavy that they weigh down the heads. So in fact, it's not sad-- it's happy when the barley does this because it means it's time to cut!

Our barley is raised as malt barley. So, once it's cut, a sample is sent to the elevator/malt plant in Great Falls and they'll test it to see if it makes malt grade. Then we haul the harvested crop to the elevator. I'm not actually sure what would happen if the barley doesn't "make malt," as they say, because since I've been here, that's never been an issue.

Some of you are probably a step or two ahead of me, but since we raise our barley for malt, the final to-consumer product is...BEER! The elevator we sell to is a malt supplier for many different brewers. From Miller-Coors to small craft breweries, when you take a swig, you could be supporting Prairie Sun Farms! Drink up! :)

And because who can resist this cutie, the next three photos are of Harvey checking out the Barley!

Such a handsome Vizsla!

As of now, we are about right in between the winter wheat/barley harvest and spring wheat harvest. We're going to have a bit of a break before the majority of the spring wheat crop is ready to cut. Stennie and I are thinking about a day-trip or two to close-by environs. Jeff and Tom may do a bit of custom cutting for some of our neighbors. Then, likely next week sometime the spring wheat harvest will pick up and we'll really begin again.

Anyone else still harvesting out there? If not crop, then what are you harvesting in your life (either literally or metaphorically?)

Until next time!