How Windy Was It?

Patsy Bronner

In the past few weeks, we’ve had some very windy days, the type of days farmers would like to get in mid-summer when the windrows of hay they want to bale won’t dry. It’s not just breezy with an occasional gust; it seems like a constant blast. I can provide specifics for those of you who are asking, “How windy was it?”

When combining corn, it was so windy that the stover being expelled out of the back of the combine flew over and around to the front of the big machine. Bits of this dry matter were pulled into radiator screens and crevices of the engine compartment close to extremely hot manifolds and exhaust pipes. It was so windy you could see and hear dehydrated corn plants snapping and falling over.

It was so windy every load of corn should have been tarped to keep the corn from blowing off, but it was impossible to unroll a tarp without risk of a strong gust ripping off the tarp. It was so windy that tiny little noxious weed seeds from far away were airborne, getting widely re-distributed. It was so windy when baling cornstalks it was hard to tell if the baler was in a cloud of dust or if it was on fire. We heard news of more than one baler that actually went up in flames.

There was so much wind-borne dust on gravel roads that vehicles and farm implements vanished into huge clouds of swirling dirt particles. More than a few drivers were surprised by a virtually invisible slow moving wagon or a grain truck emerging out of a rolling cloud of powdery earth. 

It is no exaggeration to report it was so windy hungry turkey buzzards were unable to land accurately on appetizing roadkill meals awaiting them on the ground. Needless to say, the windy conditions have created challenges for many.  Waiting for a calm reprieve, all we can do is hold on.