Harvesting Soybeans

The Bridges of Madison County and the Field of Dreams movie site were both a treat to visit while in Iowa.  A final and unexpected highlight of the trip for me was a ride in a John Deere Combine that was harvesting soybeans.

While driving through the state, I tried to photograph fields being harvested as we sped by them.  Little did I know that I'd have the opportunity to get up close and personal!  We stayed with some wonderful relatives for a night in a peaceful small town surrounded by fields of corn and soybeans.  My husband's father's cousin's husband's brother Jim was harvesting soybeans on the evening we arrived and my husband's father's cousin's husband Buck was nice enough to take us out to see it.  I've never seen a combine up close before.  Standing next to it was a thrill, getting a ride in it was amazing!

Here's a shout out  "안녕하세요 (hello!)"  to Marsha, Buck, Jim, Greg, Corey, Caitlin and Halie :)

I'm 5'1" and the tires on the combine towered over me.  Thanks for the ride, Jim!!

The combine was GPS guided so there was no need to steer until you reached the end of a row and had to turn around.

The soybeans are separated from the stems and pods during the harvesting process.

A short video from outside and inside the combine:

When the combine has a full load of soybeans, they are unloaded into a grain cart.  A John Deere tractor pulling the grain card drives along side the combine and the beans are unloaded while the combine continues harvesting.

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"Every day may not be good,
but there's something good in every day."
~Author Unknown