Tracy Zeorian
ZEORIAN HARVESTING
She was a strong woman—someone you would only cross once and
knew a second time wouldn’t be a
good idea. I learned from the best!
My Grandma Pauline Hancock
unknowingly began teaching me
what it would take to be a harvester
when I was a young girl. She asked
me if I’d go along with her and my
Grandpa Elvin Hancock (who began
harvesting in the early 1950s) to help
her with her “large” crew in 1974.
It was then I fell in love with
the combine and the lifestyle. I met
Jim in 1975, when he was a hired
man for my grandparents. In April
1982, we married and in the fall of
that same year, we bought our first
combine and truck. We began following the harvest journey with my
grandparents and my parents. After
they quit, we took to the roads on
our own in 1990, with only two
of our four daughters (Jamie and
Jenna). Taylor and Callie joined us
in 1994 and 1997. This lifestyle has
provided a decent living, a strong
family unit and wonderful friends.
The crew consists of only Jim and I
now as the kids had to go and grow
up on us. I miss them so much but I
know the life we provided them with
created responsible kids with a work
ethic like none other. We are truly a
mom-and-pop operation!
CREW PROFILE
Owner – Jim and Tracy Zeorian
Location – Manley, Nebraska
Years Harvesting – 34 years
Equipment – 1-New Holland
combine and 2-Trucks
What has been the most pleasant surprise of this year’s harvest?
Several things come to mind. Right off the bat, the amazing yields in Kansas and
Colorado. The final number for Kansas was 88-bushels-per-acre. It appears the
average in Colorado will be around that 70-bushels-per-acre mark. Jim answered
the question by saying the cooler we received from ITC made his summer! The final
surprise would be that we made it through our very first summer without any of our
kids—our helpers and support crew. Some of the meals that we ate at 10 p.m. were
rather interesting!
What do you enjoy the most about being an All Aboard Wheat Harvest correspondent?
I’m sure that each of the past correspondents (Jenna and Taylor) would give you
completely different answers to this question. I see this program being an important
connection between the custom harvester/farmer and the non-ag person. I enjoy
being able to tell our story. Everyone has a story and those of us involved with ag
need to continue to explain to the general public how their food gets to their table.
You were part of a memorable wheat harvest as some producers called it a “once
in a lifetime crop.” As you think about that phrase, what does it mean for you?
It means the “next year” crop finally happened! To be a part of something that may
only be seen once in 70 to 80 years is amazing! I only wish some of the old-timers
could see the yields we saw this summer. To see 100-plus-bushels-per-acre dry land
wheat would just make my grandpa shake his head in disbelief. I remember when he
thought 40 bushels per acre was a yield that could never to be topped.
What changes have you noticed even in the past couple of years on the harvest
trail?
The weather is the No. 1 change. It used to be we could count on going to seven different stops. We could just count on it happening. Not so much anymore. The wheat
ripened at a pace that we could all keep up with doing the job and moving to the next
without the pressure of being late. Now, it seems the rains happen during harvest. It
just seems like we wait for fields to dry more than we used to. Gone are the days of
working 30 days in a row. And our route has changed due to the weather. Thinking
about where we were this year made me realize that only one of the jobs we did was
a previous job. It never used to be so uncertain.
What was the most interesting and/or poignant moment you have seen on your
travels as part of the harvest trail?
Experiencing harvest without the best cart driver ever. Wes was 13 when he passed
away unexpectedly in December while playing basketball. I probably knew Wes less
than a year in “real time” but got to experience the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Colorado
harvest with him. He and I shared the same passion for harvest and for the combine.
Last year, as the final day of wheat harvest happened, we were both very sad—to the
point of tears. He ran the grain cart for most of the wheat harvest last summer and
did an amazing job. I knew when he pulled up next to my combine, I didn’t have to
worry about anything.
Laura Haffner
HIGH PLAINS HARVESTING
While this may only be our fifth
year in business, my husband,
Ryan, has been around agriculture
his entire life. He grew up on a farm
and later got his feet wet harvesting
for his uncle who had a custom cutting crew. At age 14, Ryan left home
for the first time with a crew and
harvested in Kansas, Colorado and
Wyoming. During his school years
he did farm work and worked summers for Ochs Harvesting. He continued to travel with them during
the remaining summers of his high
school and college years. In 2012,
we had the opportunity to purchase the crew from the Ochs, Dan,
Deb and Shane, the family friends
that Ryan had spent so many years
harvesting for. Since we don’t share
their last name, we opted to change
it to High Plains Harvesting to celebrate the area of the Plains Ryan
and I both come from.
CREW PROFILE
Owner – Ryan and Laura Haffner
Location – Park and Hays, Kansas
Years Harvesting – We are just
about to complete our fourth
year as crew owners
Employees – About 10 employees
Equipment – John Deere combines and tractors with all the
supporting equipment.
What has been the most pleasant surprise of this year’s harvest?
The most pleasant surprise has been the outstanding yields of western Kansas and
eastern Colorado. We knew going in that things were looking positive, but we certainly
weren’t expecting the high extremes. The Great American Desert tends to be feast or
famine, and this was, without a doubt, a feast year. It’s amazing what great yields can
be produced in the region when the environment is just right.
What do you enjoy the most about being an All Aboard Wheat Harvest
correspondent?
I am honored to have the opportunity to share our segment of agriculture with the
readers of High Plains Journal through writing and photography. It is especially rewarding when readers reach out and share their own harvest stories or comment that they
have connected with a story in a special way.
You were part of a memorable wheat harvest as some producers called it a “once
in a lifetime crop.” As you think about that phrase, what does it mean for you?
We hope this will be our “first in a lifetime” crop, but if it’s our “once in a lifetime
crop,” it was very exciting, fun and we feel fortunate to have been part of it! Perhaps what
made it so special was the region in which it occurred. This area has fought through so
many years of drought and hard years. To see the farmers have this success has been
wonderful. 2016 will certainly go down as one for the books and we will be talking about
it for many years to come.
If you had to name a favorite region, or the most unique region, which one would
it be and why?
Ryan and I discussed this question and have a hard time picking a favorite because all
of our regions we visit are unique. Texas and Oklahoma kick off the year so they are full of
excitement and anticipation. We grew up on the High Plains so western Kansas and eastern Colorado are very homey for us. Many of our crew members enjoy Montana because
it is so geographically different than the previous stops. Cutting on the Plains of North
Dakota are a little different than our southern locations because we add a few other crops
to the lineup and know our crew and equipment well at this point in the season.
What changes have you noticed even in the past couple of years on the harvest trail?
There has been increased interest in the Shelbourne stripper headers. We have also
had greater interest and demand for technology like auto steer, grain cart scales, and
perhaps most popular, mapping.
What was the most interesting and/or poignant moment you have seen on your
travels as part of the harvest trail?
Besides experiencing the amazing harvest of western Kansas and eastern Colorado, it
has been interesting for me to experience harvest through the kids’ eyes. As an owner of
the business, it’s easy for me to get wrapped up internally with stresses that go along with
the operation. The kids put an innocent, fun spin on things and help me to keep a bigger
picture in mind. A poignant moment of the season was the excessive rainfall in Texas.
After years of severe drought, they are now fighting the opposite problem, for the second
year in a row. The excessive moisture affected the farmers’ yields in a negative way.
T
hank you for following along on our incredible journey
this summer, which included stories of historic wheat
yields. We hope you have gotten to know our correspondents
and their families and enjoyed hearing about their experiences
along the way.
It has been a challenging, yet rewarding ride for our
crews—High Plains Harvesting, Misener Family Harvesting,
Osowski Ag Service and Zeorian Harvesting.
We appreciate our loyal followers. Our journey would not
be complete without your support.
www.allaboardharvest.com
Photo by Laura Haffner.
Photo by Tracy Zeorian.
Photo by Emma Misener.
Photo by Emma Misener.
Photo by Stephanie Osowski.
Photo by Laura Haffner.
Photo by Emma Misener.
Photo by Laura Haffner.
Photo by Stephanie Osowski.
Photo by Tracy Zeorian.
Photo by Stephanie Osowski.
Emma Misener
MISENER FAMILY HARVESTERS
My dad, Ron Misener, started
Misener Family Harvesters back
in the 1970s when he returned
home from serving our country
in Vietnam. He met the farmer’s
daughter, my mom, Kristy, and
the rest became history. They
had six children along the way.
In December 2010, God called
Daddy home, but we are determined to continue his legacy.
Now my Mom, brother Dan and
myself run the business, picking
up where Daddy left off. Every
year, we continue to pack up the
camper, load the combines up
and head for the wheat fields. It
takes interesting kinds of people to live this way of life, but I
wouldn’t have it any other way.
CREW PROFILE
Owner – Kristy Misener, Misener
Family Harvesters
Location – Elk City, Oklahoma
Years Harvesting – 44 years
Employees – Dan Misener,
Emma Misener
Equipment – 3 John Deere
9600s, JD 4650 tractor with a
J&M 850 grain cart, 2 semis,
travel trailer, cargo trailer
What has been the most pleasant surprise of this year’s harvest?
This year’s pleasant surprise was we were able to pick up some extra
work. Finding work is the hardest thing to do in this way of life, especially
for the smaller harvesters like us who run one to two machines regularly.
So it was a nice surprise we were able to pick up the extra acres to help
support ourselves.
What do you enjoy the most about being an All Aboard Wheat Harvest
correspondent?
There is no question what the answer is: the followers. I love hearing their
own stories of harvest. When you can relate to someone, it makes you feel
good and that you’re not alone. Everyone needs a support group no matter
what that is.
You were part of a memorable wheat harvest as some producers called
it a “once in a lifetime crop.” As you think about that phrase, what does
it mean for you?
Being a part of something that is considered a “once in a lifetime” anything
is awesome and makes me feel accomplished. I am so proud of our farmers
and all those connected with the ag industry. They take the chance every year
to put food on not only their own table and own mouths to feed, but those
all around us.
What changes have you noticed even in the past couple of years on the
harvest trail?
The past couple of years on the harvest trail I have noticed there are
less and less young people. I believe the ag industry is suffering somewhat.
With the expenses rising and the profit staying the same, it is easy to pencil
out that most young men or women who want to carry on the farming
tradition are having trouble. It is harder to start a farm. It is harder to
support the family as it grows because there is simply not enough money
to support two families. Young men and their new families wanting to
take over the family tradition and the parents or even grandparents who
still need income of their own are having trouble making ends meet. I
think this ends up dividing families or finding different professions. To
the older generation, it is harder to help the grandkids find the desire to
farm because of their upbringing wasn’t instilled in them from the farm.
It’s hard to make it today in the ag community. If you don’t have 1,000
acres, it’s hard.
What was the most interesting and/or poignant moment you have seen
on your travels as part of the harvest trail?
The simple answer is that we had a great crop in Oklahoma!
Stephanie Osowski
OSOWSKI AG SERVICE
Osowski Ag Service began back
in 1984 with a combine and a
road trip. My Dad and Uncle
Paul heard about the great wheat
crop St. Francis, Kansas was
having and decided they wanted a piece of the action. Once
Grandma and Grandpa Osowski
heard about the great wheat and
great time to be had, it became
a full-fledged family affair the
following summer. Dad added
a wife to the mix, Mama Loree,
in 1987, and she began traveling
on the harvest trail as well. Two
kids, many hired hands, miles
upon miles and acres galore later, we Osowski Ag Service consists of just the four of us (Dad,
Mom, Steph and Brandon) and
we love every second of it.
CREW PROFILE
Owner – Bob and Loree Osowski
Location – Grafton, North Dakota
Years Harvesting – 35 years
Employees – Stephanie &
Brandon Osowski
Equipment – 2 New Holland
combines, 1 Peterbilt semi, 1
Kenworth tri-axle, 1 John Deere
8200 tractor with grain cart
What has been the most pleasant surprise of this year’s harvest?
The weather! Don’t get me wrong; I would have loved a day off here and there
throughout the harvest run. But, on the other hand, bad weather is probably my worst
fear, and we had no sign of it the entire summer at the locations we were harvesting.
What do you enjoy most about being an AAWH correspondent?
The simple fact that I get to share our story with all High Plains Journal readers.
I never would have thought this blog would touch as many people as it does and it’s
a great feeling knowing our story is getting out there for all walks of life to read and
possibly relate to.
You were part of a memorable wheat harvest as some producers called it a “once
in a lifetime crop.” As you think about that phrase, what does it mean for you?
The first image that pops into my head is a cute grandpa sitting in a rocking chair
surrounded by his grandkids, telling tall tales about the “good ol’ days” and then that
one story about the crop of 2016 that gets told any chance he can. Being able to say
that I took part in something so monumental is something I will always cherish.
If you had to name a favorite region (or the most unique region), which one
would it be and why?
St. Francis, Kansas, of course! I have said it in my posts so it’s not a surprise to
anyone at this point. We always make jokes they are in their own type of “Twilight
Zone” because everybody waves (no matter if they actually know you or not), there’s
’80s music playing at every local business and they welcome every new person to their
community like they’re old friends.
What changes have you noticed even in the past couple of years on the
harvest trail?
There are less harvest crews out on the run than when I was growing up. These
last couple years especially, we have heard of crews having huge auctions or if they
farm around their hometowns, they decide to focus on the farming rather than stretch
themselves to do both. With the prices going down and the costs going up, it’s becoming even more of a gamble than normal to keep up with everything!
G
G
“Bread Count­—
6,549,191.88 loaves”
—Stephanie Osowski
G
G
Texas:
Acres Harvested: 2.8 million
Bushels Harvested: 95.2 million
Yield: 34 bushels/acre
Kansas:
Acres Harvested: 8.1 million
Bushels Harvested: 454 million
Yield: 56 bushels/acre
South Dakota:
Acres Harvested: 1.05 million
Bushels Harvested: 57.8 million
Yield: 55 bushels/acre
Oklahoma:
Acres Harvested: 3.3 million
Bushels Harvested: 132 million
Yield: 40 bushels/acre
Colorado:
Acres Harvested: 2.12 million
Bushels Harvested: 95.4 million
Yield: 45 bushels/acre
Nebraska:
Acres Harvested: 1.2 million
Bushels Harvested: 60 million
Yield: 50 bushels/acre
HARVEST REPORT
Courtesy of USDA NASS. Totals and estimates as of July 1, 2016.
MORE EFFICIENCY. MORE GR AIN IN THE BIN.
MORE PROFIT FOR YOUR BOT TOM LINE.
WHEAT FACTS
Wheat is a grass whose
seed belongs to the
cereal grains group. It
contains gluten, the basic structure in forming
the dough system for
breads, rolls and other
baked goods. Other
grains have gluten, but
not as much as wheat.
High protein flour obtained from Hard Red
Winter wheat is best for
making bread. Medium
protein flours from Hard
Red Winter wheat may
also be used for making
biscuits, all-purpose flour,
quick breads, mixes and
other baked goods.
Wheat foods are a
source of dietary fiber,
an indigestible carbohydrate that yields little or
no energy but appears
to play a role in preventing some types of cancer. The bran and endosperm contain mainly
insoluble fiber.
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture and Health
and Human Service’s
Dietary Guidelines for
Americans stress the
need for 5 ounces to 10
ounces of grain products
(breads, cereals, rice
and pasta) each day.
A bushel of wheat makes
about
90,
1-pound
loaves of whole wheat
bread. A bushel of
wheat makes about 42
pounds of pasta.
Each American consumes about 134 pounds
of wheat flour per year.
A NE W WORLD DEM A NDS NE W HOLL A ND CR SERIE S COMBINE S.
Independent third-party testing shows how productive and efficient a New Holland CR combine can be.
MORE HARVESTING PRODUCTIVITY: 4% more in wheat and 10% more in canola
LESS TOTAL FLUID CONSUMPTION: 6% less in both wheat and canola for lower operating costs
LESS GRAIN LOSS: 30% lower in wheat and 45% lower in canola means more grain in the bin
It all adds up to more profit for you and more money in your pocket.
But don’t take our word for it! Get your copy of the report today by visiting
www.myNewHolland.com or your local New Holland dealer.
©2016 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. “New Holland” is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to
CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. “Equipped For A New World” is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH
Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
Facts courtesy of Kansas
Wheat Commission and
National Association of
Wheat Growers.