Harvest Done

rusty6 · Nov 4, 2013

Finished up the flax harvest here on Oct. 29 and looking through some of the photos now. I liked this one with those impressive clouds.

Wheat Farmer · Nov 4, 2013

Is that a new (Newer) pull type combine? I have not seen one before.

rusty6 · Nov 4, 2013

(quoted from post at 20:46:30 11/04/13) Is that a new (Newer) pull type combine? I have not seen one before.

It is about a 1987 model Titan II 7721. I think the last JD pull type was built about 1995. The model 9501. Never saw many of them but these 7721s were numerous here at one time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIJ4c4PcZhg&feature=youtu.be

Jim in Sask · Nov 4, 2013

That's a nice picture, Rusty. Harvest got dragged out this year. Did you get much snow today? We had a little bit, probably less than an inch, and lots of wind. Glad we didn't get that mess they got to the north and west.

rusty6 · Nov 4, 2013

About the same here Jim. No accumulation, just kind of miserable. I've still got a day or two of flax straw piling and burning I hope to do before much snow accumulates. Hope the snow stays away til December at least.

ShadetreeRet · Nov 4, 2013

That is a good photo. Good contrast. Even got the shadow of the truck.

Bob · Nov 5, 2013

The photo is NICE, but that alone won't keep the banker happy!

How did it "run"?

I'm so far out of the loop I don't have any idea of current prices.. what's it worth where you are?

What did the seed cost? What are the other costs involved?

rusty6 · Nov 5, 2013

I'm not at all worried about keeping the banker happy. This flax yielded in the high 20s which is good, probably one of the higher yielding flax crops I have ever had. Today's price was $13.49 per bushel which is also a very good price. 2/3 of the crop is sold already.

Hendrik · Nov 5, 2013

Very nice photo and glad for you the harvest is done.
Here, in The Netherlands and generally in western Europe, flax is grown for its fibres in the stem from which linen is produced, while the seed is only a by-product.
The flax is harvested by pulling it out of the dirt, roots and all, and put into shocks or mats for transport to the flax works for further processing.
Flax harvesters

Murray2 · Nov 5, 2013

What area is flax grown?Is there any special climate or soil type? Cheers, Murray

Moline_guy · Nov 5, 2013

Great picture and real nice machinery. Pull types use to be the norm around here, we ran 96's in the 80's and 90's. With the switch to row crops, everything is self propel now.

rusty6 · Nov 5, 2013

Hendrik, my sister in law (who took the photo) has family in the Netherlands. Yes, the flax fibre has uses but as with most things in Sask. , distance is a problem. If you do not live near a flax processing plant, transportation costs make it unrealistic for anyone to make a profit handling the straw.
http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/english/index.jsp?p=growing12&mp=growing
Flax grows well right across western Canada as far as I know. Not a hard crop to grow and a good crop to break up a canola/wheat rotation.

Hendrik · Nov 5, 2013

Rusty, thanks for your reply.
Interesting link. The prices shown ("Processors normally pay $5 to $10 per tonne for the straw") are low in my opinion. No wonder the tranportation tends to eat up your profit.

In the areas close to the fibre processors, is the flax harvested by pulling the plant out, roots and all, to maximize fibre yield? Or do they just use combines with cutting headers?

Thanks, Hendrik

Stan - Florida · Nov 5, 2013

I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Saskatchewan a few years ago. There were quite a few of those pull-type combines sitting around, not being used any more. I guess they might have been the combine of choice some years ago.

Stan

rusty6 · Nov 5, 2013

(quoted from post at 07:47:32 11/05/13) Rusty, thanks for your reply.
Interesting link. The prices shown ("Processors normally pay $5 to $10 per tonne for the straw") are low in my opinion. No wonder the tranportation tends to eat up your profit.

In the areas close to the fibre processors, is the flax harvested by pulling the plant out, roots and all, to maximize fibre yield? Or do they just use combines with cutting headers?

Thanks, Hendrik

The only way I have heard of the straw being used is by baling it and hauling the bales . Obviously transportation costs are going to be a big factor and this option is only open to those living closer to straw processing plants.
Another interesting option is for heating. Flax straw burns clean and is described as "carbon neutral". My SIL uses a flax bale burning stove to heat a small greenhouse in late winter and spring.

Harvest Done

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