Got a Combine!

Now I'm in deep.It's darn tough to find harvesting equipment in California. We shifted to big ag so long ago that we've lost these little guys. This plot harvester is meant for trial and nursery scale grain cultivation, but it's going to serve me well as I grow out rare, heritage varieties of grain. We need these non-patented strains to increase farm biodiversity and to preserve food for the commons.This cutie is going to need a lot of love and work. We got it from a farmer in the Sierras who hadn't used it much and left it untended for a long time. I can see why because getting it in and out is tough! We had to drive the combine onto an embankment so that it could be nearly level with the trailer. The front and back wheels are at different widths and the ground was soft. My friend offered to drive the combine because of the dangerous situation. Rather than interpret this as an offense to my gender abilities, I decided that this was for the best because he already has three children and, thus, his part for the world. (Kidding) I'm grateful to have farmer-mates who also care about grains, collaboration, and doing things well, and who made this trek out with me.There's much to do before mid-July, harvest time. Time to roll up our sleeves and make sure raccoons don't nest inside. I'll keep you updated on our progress.