Picking ear corn in SE Minnesota...pics

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

Finished beans last weekend,and finished ear picking today.

Oliver 1650 diesel and Oliver 83 picker.Dang,it was cold out this morning!Got chilled last night too!

Loads were pulled back home and up the Kewanee elevator powered by Oliver 88 gas and into the double-wide crib.Got almost 16 loads in the crib.

Next,have to set up for combining and drying corn.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

great pictures, some of us never get to see these things! thanks

Andy Motteberg · Oct 19, 2008

Nice pictures, thanks. Where in MN are you? I'm from Detroit Lakes.

Andy

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

Hey Andy Thanks!

I'm about 40 miles West of Rochester near Owatonna.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

Thanks for the pictures. To me that's the best memories, I'm sure it has something to do with being young back then. I think it would be neat to have more old fashioned farmer days with all the makes of pickers working side by side. Especially in the kind of corn yields nowadays.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

I assume you have to plant in 38" rows for the picker.

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

mj,

Oliver made the 83 in wide(36-40") or narrow(30")

Mine is the narrow version.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

Just remembered, back in my young days and picking ear corn, I had fun putting a little Indian corn in the planter (without dad knowing) and then seeing an occasional ear of colored corn in the fall.

Also heard someone had 3 standing stalks of corn and put a sign by them "blonde's corn maze".

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

Good stuff M Moline fan!!

I remember picking ear corn as long as I can remember.Wish dad was alive to see us do it now.

My mom use to plant Indian corn in the garden,along with decorative gourds an such.Never thought about throwin a little in the planter.Priceless!

Take care

~brad

steelfronts · Oct 19, 2008

Thanks for the pictures. Always loved ear picking and filling the cribs comparing full cribs with a few bags of seeds.We're gettin somewhere now

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

brad,

Thanks for the pics. Back in the 1970's I worked full-time for IBM in Rochester and farmed rented land just south of Rochester near Stewartville. My wife attended Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna,

I loved Minnesota. I was on a career track in IBM so I eventually moved away, but I often wish I could have pulled off a full-time gig farming in SE Minnesota.

Great folks. Great farming. Great memories.

Tom in TN

Ultradog MN · Oct 19, 2008

I always love the pictures on these forums.
Yours are excellent!
Thanks.

paul · Oct 19, 2008

Neat pics. Finished beans today, will start ear corn in a couple days. I put up 35 loads or so. I'm by New Ulm, I get over your way for the spring ag show Owatonna puts on at the fair grounds - neat show.

--->Paul

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

Tom,did you know that Pillsbury used to be a millitary school? Hence the cannon in NW corner at the college.

Yes,most things are good here for old-fashioned folks.Glad you enjoyed the pics.

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

I get to the show too Paul.

Nice to dream,huh?

Did you know how many Polka/Czech bands came from the New Ulm area? LOTS AND LOTS!

My folks had Roman Rezak at their WEDDING DANCE.

We should meet up at the show this spring.

~brad

Anonymous-0 · Oct 19, 2008

Tom, How far south of Rochester did you farm? My brother had a farm along side the airport on the west and along #30 on the south, and just north of Stewartville. He was killed in a accident in the 60's and the farm was rented to a cannery from Rochester for a number of years.It's still owned by my SIL. Harold

GA Dave · Oct 19, 2008

Three to four ears in the air at a time! looks like a good crop. David...........

jd-tom · Oct 19, 2008

What's the moisture of the corn you're cribbing?Do you use the ear corn for feed? Or are you like me, picking a bit of ear corn so I can play with my corn shellers next summer? I need to get some pictures taken soon of my NI mounted picker at work before I finish ear corn for the year.

bradk · Oct 19, 2008

Moisture is at 26%

We use it for grinding in Bear Cat mixer-mill for steer feed.Have 65 acres left,but will combine and dry it later.

Anonymous-0 · Oct 20, 2008

Herald,

Thanks for the post. First, I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your brother. There is no good time or way to give up a loved one.

I farmed right in the area that you referred to. I rented 160 acres from a guy on the north side of Route 30, just west of where I-90 passes under Route 30. I can't remember his name right now, it's just been too long. It was good, slightly rolling land. I grew corn, beans, and set-aside acres on it.

The cannery in Rochester was probably Libbys. One of my mentors when I farmed there was a deacon in our church. He owned 1000 acres of good, black land. Among other things, he grew English peas and sweet corn for Libbys. They provided the seed and did the harvesting, he did all of the rest of the growing for them. I loved to drive past their processing plant in Rochester and smell the cooking vegetables.

Thanks again for the memories. God bless.

Tom in TN

Bill in IL · Oct 20, 2008

I've got a 2 row narrow model 83 Cockshutt picker. Same as your oliver, just wish I had the Cockshutt tractor to put on it.

I also had a lot of problems with shelling this year. I was picking at about 18% moisture. Is that too dry to pick or was the variety too tough to get off the stalk? Your cobs are not shelled off at all. I just figured it was a tough year this year cause the corn was pretty heavy. Good thing we could turn the cows out in that field to clean up after the picker.

bradk · Oct 20, 2008

18% is way too dry for any picker Bill.Shells out too easy.

We hit it at anything 30 or under.Never a problem storing in cribs.

I'd like to see the Cochshutt 83 if ya have a picture.

Mn Dave · Oct 20, 2008

Brad, What is the moisture running? We started picking ear corn also, but it was still 24%, a little to wet to put in a round crib, so will wait. I see you are putting it in a double crib which can handle wetter corn.
Have a safe fall.

in-too-deep · Oct 20, 2008

Beautiful! Those are some big ears too (on the corn, not on the guy in the picture!)

Bill in IL · Oct 20, 2008

We only pick about 4-5 loads anymore and store it in the gravity boxes so I am not sure if that is too wet to store in wagons.

Picking ear corn in SE Minnesota...pics

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