Safflower Harvest 2016

October 22nd, we harvested the safflower.  Not the best crop, it was full of weeds and didn't get rain when we needed it this summer. 

It is what it is, I suppose.

Safflower In Bloom

I love, love, love it when the safflower is in bloom.

Looking east at sunrise.

Also, looking east at sunrise.

And, somewhere in this picture is a deer chasing Jasmine.

 Could be a new trend - safflower maze instead of corn maze?   Or alien crop circles?
Or Boyd demolishing the cockle burs!

Safflower Harvest

 The safflower is gone.   Inside those dried out flowers are many little white seeds.

 We harvested the last of October on some very golden days.

 The combine went back and forth and left quite a dust trail in its' wake.

 Boyd had this view taken from along the river.

 It just so happened I had a conference in Logan and was heading home at the same time they were at Wheatland Seed near Collinston. 

 I stopped by and got to see the process in person.   Here is the safflower being dumped out of the bottom of the semi.

 It goes from the bin under the grate and is dumped in to this part of a long series of chutes and tubes.

 This is the left over "trash" that they actually sell.

 It ends up stored in these very tall silos.  And, yes, someone has to walk to the top of this series of stairs and platforms to check how full the silo is. 

 Chris climbed in the trailer of the semi and swept all the safflower towards the opening. 

 More trash from inside the semi's trailer.

Now, we just need the price to double over night and I will sell.  Fingers crossed!
Sorry about holding the camera wrong and creating a vertical video :(

At Sunset

 Here is what weeds and a field of safflower look like at sunset.