Wheat

[bacpacker]

I planted a spot about 25x120 last October with winter wheat. I tried this the previous fall as well. It came up well and was doing good until a hail storm wiped it out last April. This year it started growing in late Feb and has done very nicely. Tonight we went out and started the harvest. I am using a sycthe that my dad had and I got a good workout growing up cutting weeds with it. It does a good job on wheat stalks. I hadn't tried to harvest anything with it before and I sure need to work on my techniqiue and the scythe could use a good sharpening as well, but it still will suffice for the rest of the harvest.

Tonight I made 1 lap around the patch and then we went back and picked it up by hand. I have a 5x8 trailer and what we picked up tonight filled it about 2/3 full at about 2' deep. I am no more than 20% thru with the harvest at this point.

One big thing I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to try this on a small scale like this. Invite a bunch of your friends over early one day and put them to work. Doing this by hand is DAMN hard work. We are both toast tonight and are REALLY looking forward to getting back at it tomorrow night after work. Seriously though I could have cut the whole patch tonight, but it would have taken 3-4 folks to have picked it up at close to the same rate i was cutting it.

I was concerned about waiting to long to harvest and the seed heads breaking open. That didn't happen with very much of it tonight. I may have even started a few days early, but we are expecting storms and heavy rain Friday, so I wanted to make sure and get all I could before that hits.

After the harvest is done I have to figure out my best technique for seperating the wheat seed from the chaff. I have done this all as an experiment to see if i could actually do it and to figure out how best to go thru all the processes needed to properly harvest and store the wheat. I still don't have any idea how much of the seed I'll end up with. So far I've learned a few things and have a couple things in mind to help speed things up or make it easier. I have taken some pics along the way and several tonight. I'll post up a few of those when time permits.

[mitunnelrat]

This is awesome, and something I've wondered about. I'll be looking forward to reading this and seeing the pics as it develops.

[ladyhk13]

Where are the pics??????????????????

[Sniper-T]

Awesome. You are about 1 year ahead of me. I am hoping to break some ground this weekend.

Have you tried hand stripping the wheat while on the stocks? Wear something like a postal carrier bag, grab a couple few, and pull up while squeezing. most should come off in your hand (if it is ready), drop in bag, and repeat.

Then you can use the scythe to cut the hay, and just rake it.

[bacpacker]

I have tried that a little. It seemed much slower and i am trying to beat the weather. It would be more effective in getting a high% of it. I think.

[Sniper-T]

I've harvested literally tons of wild rice in this manner, and once you get into a good 2 handed rhythm you can fill baskets mighty quick.

It is also a good way to pick only the ripest. Assuming you have the time, go through and strip everything that comes off easily, but dont force it. wait a week or a few days, and do it again.

[bacpacker]

I may give that a shot tonight and see how it goes.

[Sniper-T]

Oh, and especially for wheat... wear gloves!

[bacpacker]

Found that out last night.

[eagle326]

Was half way there BP but had to turn around and go home because I forgot my gloves.