Our Farming Neighbours

We’re lucky enough to live “in the country” and so one of our neighbours (our properties touch corner to corner) is a large field of about 70 acres that is used by a local farmer to grow one of corn, soybeans or wheat each year.

After the corn had been harvested in 2007, a very large tractor turned up to cultivate the ground ready to plant the next crop, which in this year was to be winter wheat.

A very large Case Steiger tractor that is 480 horsepower pulling a quite large gang of discs. Instead of wheels it has a large rubber track at each corner, and steers by hinging in the middle.

For all its size it can turn in a reasonably small space.

Turn completed, discs lowered back into ground and it’s off for the next 1/2 mile run to the other end of the field. Soon after this the field was planted with what turned out to be wheat, which was harvested in July 2008. (sorry no photos yet of the monster harvester that came). Once the harvest was completed a very large baler came to bale up the wheat straw.

This large baler is pulled and driven by an IH MX255 tractor – a little over 200 horsepower I think.

Despite its large size this rig can turn in quite a small space too – the 4 wheels on the baler are capable of self steering to make the turns easier.

This large baler makes bales that are 3′ x 4′ x 8′ (.9m x 1.2m x 2.5m). A day or so later they were loaded onto trucks by a big loader and hauled away – no hand stacking here!!!!!

A photo gallery of these images that can be viewed at a larger size can be seen here.