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Writer's pictureAmy Trudell

Amy's Angle>

Let's Chat About...Harvest



Up here in Warren, Minnesta, harvest time is a big deal! In fact, agriculture is one of our main industries. We are part of the Red River Valley where the soil is rich and crops grow well.


Some of the main crops grown in this region include Wheat, Beans, Corn, Alfalfa, Sunflowers, Potatoes and Sugar Beets. Although we are not farmers, I am proud to say that many of our friends & family are!




Wheat is a grass type grain, and its stem is usually hollow. On average there are 22 seeds per head and 5 heads per plants so about 110 seeds per plant.


It is typically harvested in the summer months depending on the type of wheat & climate. The kernels should be hard and crunchy and can be tested by biting into them.


The wheat is cut using a combine harvester which also separates the seed from the stem. When the hopper gets full, it is loaded into trucks and brought to town to be sold or stored in silo type bins.


Wheat is high in carbohydrates, fiber & protein. This crop is the 3rd most produced in the world after cane sugar toand corn.


Some products produced from wheat include:

  • Bread

  • Pasta

  • Cake

  • Crackers

  • Cookies

  • Pastries

  • Flour

  • Noodles



Soybeans are the most commonly grown type of beans in our area. It is a species of legume and has numerous uses.


They should be harvested at their peak ripeness, about 85 days after planting. A combine is also used for this type of bean to cut and thresh the seeds from the stem.


Soybeans are high in fiber, protein and omega-3 fatty acid.


Some uses for soybeans include:

  • Tofu

  • Tempeh

  • Soy Milk

  • Soy Sauce

  • Meat Substitutes



Edible beans are another type of legume that is grown as a crop.


Traditionally they are harvested by undercutting and wind rowing, followed by drying and combining.


The major uses for edible beans include dry packaged beans for home use, canned beans and bean flour for commercial baking.



Field corn is not the same sweet corn, and it's uses are very different. It is one of the later crops to be harvested as it needs to be almost fully dry (moisture content around 25%).


A combine harvester with a special header is used to cut, thresh and clean the kernels. After harvesting, it may need to be dried down to 15% moisture content. Then it is stored in a cool, dry place to prevent mold and spoilage.


Some uses for field corn are:

  • Livestock Feed (Silage)

  • Corn Tortillas

  • Chips

  • Corn Syrup

  • Corn Starch

  • Cereal

  • Ethanol Production

  • Plastic



Alfalfa (hay) is a crop that doesn't directly hit your table, but instead is used to feed the livestock that in some form or another, will.


It is a perennial flowering plant which resembles a clover when young and the leaves become elongated upon maturity. Later, small clusters of purple flowers appear, followed by small fruit containing the seed.


Alfalfa is harvested when ready using a mower-conditioner (hay bind), which cuts & crimps the stem to speed up drying.


It is then left in the field to dry, also known as curing, until the moisture content is safe for storing. Once it is dried sufficiently, it is raked into windrows, making it easier to collect.


Next it is picked up using a bailer and tied into small square, large square or large round bales, depending on equipment and storage space.


A farmer can get 2 - 4 cuttings off of one crop, depending on weather and production conditions.


Alfalfa is usually grown by farmers to either feed their own livestock herd or to be sold on the market.




Sunflowers are another crop grown in our area, and they also make a great backdrop for Senior Photos :)


The common Sunflower is actually a species of the Daisy family. It grows with a hearty long stem reaching up to 10 feet tall. The plant flowers in the summer, and their heads are known to follow the sun, hence Sunflowers!


These are also harvested using a combine with a special sunflower header. The seeds are separated from the plants and cleaned of debris.


Sunflowers are used in making varieties of bird seed or crushed for sunflower oil.



Although we don't have many potato fields in our immediate area, there are a lot throughout the Red River Valley and into North Dakota.


The potato is a starchy root vegetable which includes many different varieties. They are about 80% water and 20% dry matter, of which most of the dry matter is starch.


This crop is harvested using a potato harvester, which digs and lifts the potatoes out of the ground. Then they are moved along a digger chain that removes excess dirt and debris.


After they leave the field, they are brought to a potato warehouse for storage, then eventually to a Potato Production Factory.


Some of the products that come from harvested potatoes include:

  • French Fries

  • Potato Chips

  • Dehydrated Potatoes

  • Hash Browns

  • Tator Tots

  • Table Potatoes



Last but certainly not least, we have sugar beets! These are big business in our area and many farmers grow them. During harvest, additional workers are hired to drive beet truck and help in the fields to get the crop off. Harvest is time and temperature sensitive and when it's time to go, it's all hands-on deck!


Sugar Beets are a root vegetable with a high sugar content. Their juice is 2nd only to sugarcane as a major source of sugar.


During harvest, a special tractor is used to remove the tops of the plants while they're still in the ground. This is sometimes known as scalping. Then the lifters come along and pop the beets out of the ground and pick them up. They are then cleaned of any dirt or debris on rollers and then transported directly to the processing plant or to a storage facility.


Harvest usually takes place between late September and early November and climate is a very important factor. The ideal temperature range is between 50-70 degrees. This helps preserve sugar content and quality of the beets during storage and production.


Sugar Beets are used to make all forms of sugar such as granular, powdered and brown. They're also used in the production of molasses, animal feed and biofuel.



The Sugar Beets that are harvested in this region are brought to the American Crystal Sugar Plant to be processed. This company has locations in Crookston, East Grand Forks and Moorhead Minnesota, along with Drayton and Hillsboro of North Dakota.



In conclusion, please remember the farmers during harvest season and be patient when encountering machinery on the roads. As Theodore Roosevelt put it:

"Agriculture is now, as it's always been, the basis of civilization"



If you have anything to add or share to this conversation, please comment below!


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