Harvesting Tomatoes

I'm a bit behind on this blog post but I took a lot of photos and still wanted to share it. Do you remember when they planted tomatoes Across the Road in early May? Five months later those tomatoes were ready to harvest. DSC_8857 IMG_6208These are not big juicy table tomatoes on five-foot high plants. They are smaller canning tomatoes that can be mechanically harvested. This is the first time I've seen the  harvester that doesn't have people riding on it while sorting tomatoes. It's all done mechanically.DSC_0358Two tractors run side-by-side. One pulls the bins that hold the tomatoes.DSC_0419The other pulls the harvester.DSC_0393The tomato plants are cut off and pulled up a conveyer where the tomatoes are sorted from the plant and sent through that yellow chute into the bins. Unwanted plant material, including smaller tomatoes come out over the roller towards the base of the harvester.DSC_0413

DSC_0351  Here they are waiting for the next tractor and bins to catch up to the harvester. Is it any wonder that everything in my house is covered with a layer of fine dust.?

 DSC_0425Haresting of this field took a lot longer than I expected. They worked out there 24 hours/day for 2 1/2 days.

DSC_0427 DSC_0433 A few tomatoes spill out when the truck makes the turn onto the roas.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           tomatoes 2nd dayThis is a photo taken at the end of the harvest.

Views on the Farm

Taken over the last week or so.Ewes coming in from pastureSheep coming in from the pasture.AmaryllisAmaryllis following.dallisgrassDallisgrass. 15016 Nash left Ram lamb that I'm keeping. He'll be at the Lambtown sheep show. This is Meridian Nash (Meridian Crosby x Mud Ranch Ginseng).

15045 Love this guy's horn spread (Meridian Crosby x Meridian Sophia). I wish I had room to keep all the promising ram lambs for several months, but most have to go before breeding season. In fact there has already been at least one major ram break-out involving the ram lambs and I'm sure that I'll have at least a couple of early lambs (mid January instead of late February when the planned lambs will come).DSC_9843Here are the yearling and two-year old rams. Puddleduck Ringo, Meridian Crosby, Foley, and Alex. Foley is sold and will be picked up soon I hope. Before we went to Texas these rams switched places with...

DSC_9836 ...Faulkner, the BFL ram, to give them more room and so that they couldn't keep getting tangled in the electric fence. It worked for awhile, but the ongoing saga is a subject for another blog post.

Egrets in tree Egrets looking over the pasture.Hot LipsHot LIps.

  IMG_6155Another ram issue. Notice how this horn (which has already been trimmed) is starting to irritate the skin on Alex's shoulders.

IMG_6156 Another trim was required.waterFresh water after cleaning the water trough. I so hope it rains this fall. I'm so tired of being dusty, hot, and dry. I don't know when I've looked forward to winter, but I sure am this year. I just hope it's not a disappointment.Ginny in yardGinny in her watching the road spot. She likes to chase trucks from her side of the fence.