North Dakota – I love wheat harvest and each season I never want it to end. It always seems to fly by in the blink of an eye. However, it’s been a very challenging wheat harvest. It was full of disappointing weather delays. I often remind myself that the good outweighs the bad but honestly, it’s been a tough year. What I enjoy probably the most is when it’s just another day and another field!
The first part of the summer was rainy and we fought high humidity. Although, I felt fortunate that we got our first stop cut out and then moved up the road whereas others had more rain in other parts of Texas and Oklahoma and had a tough time getting the wheat cut and moving on.
Then, after first stop there were more struggles with rain and tough decision making on what to do and where to go. We have to go where we can cut wheat. The weather just wasn’t favorable to our business and was so frustrating to deal with. Luckily, Western Kansas had a nice wheat crop for us to harvest and we had nice weather there. Western Nebraska was disappointing because wheat acres were way down because nearly every acre was planted to corn. The northern country has been good to us, thankfully. Montana, South Dakota, and North Dakota have provided us with acres and bushels keeping us busy with good weather, too. There is so much corn out here though all the way from Texas to the Canadian border.
I’ve grown up in the family business and have seen so many changes to the harvest over the years. I used to have a lot of fun cutting wheat fields with my uncle Lonny, and brothers, JC and Jared but I haven’t cut with them much at all the past few years. We keep the crews split for efficiency.
I am so proud of my nephew, Sunder. He’s a senior in high school now. He’s spent every summer on wheat harvest. He runs combine full-time and has really gained an outstanding work ethic. He’s driven trucks and also tractor grain cart when needed over the years. He’s got so much talent and is such a great young leader in the family business. He’s definitely a Schemper, he lives and breathes the harvest! Thanks Sunder for all of your hard work and enjoy your senior year! Your Aunt Janel is certainly proud of you!
I miss the days when nobody had a cell phone. Talk about peace and quiet and a lot less trouble and wrecks. One question I ask in the interview process is, “What is your opinion on cell phones at work?” About 95 percent answer with, “It’s not necessary to be on the phone at work and I won’t be on the phone on your time.” Great answer but honor it. I see employees at work looking at the phone way too often being way too plugged into the phone. It’s terrible. It’s a major distraction and is completely unnecessary.
I live most of my life on the road and way too often I see drivers crowding or crossing the center yellow line. Experienced truck drivers crowd the white line. If you’ve ever hauled equipment you know exactly what I’m saying here. I believe the phone is distracting drivers and that’s why I’m seeing drivers crowding or crossing the center yellow line. It’s dangerous and out here on the road you’ve always got to be a defensive driver. I’ve always been taught to crowd the white line and never crowd another driver when meeting them on the road.
I am looking forward to finishing wheat and canola up north and then being back in Nebraska for fall harvest. The crops look good and we’ve got a full crew. I love summer wheat harvest but I really love fall harvest, too. Thank you to our customers, all of the elevator workers, John Deere Harvest Support, MacDon Harvest Support and our crew. It takes a lot of hard work to make all of this work and keep the wheels turning. Thank you to the AAWH sponsors and followers. I appreciate you all! Thanks again.
Janel Schemper can be reached at [email protected].
Thank you to our 2025 All Aboard Wheat Harvest sponsors: High Plains Journal, New Holland, Merit Auctions, Oklahoma Wheat Commission, Kramer Seed Farms and U.S. Custom Harvesters and Parallel Ag.
