4 Interesting Facts to Know About How Grain is Harvested

Grain is one of the most important products in our food system, but do you know how it’s harvested? It turns out that the harvesting process is more interesting than you might think. 

1) Grain harvest typically occurs during the fall months.

Grain is harvested in the fall, not just because that’s when all of our favorite autumn fruits and vegetables are available. It turns out that harvesting grain during this time helps give it a better shelf life and extend its freshness longer than if it were harvested earlier or later in the year.

Harvesting grain also happens before winter sets into an area. This allows it to dry out before the ground becomes moist, which could cause damage to the grain as well as affect its ability to start growing again in the springtime.

The harvesting process is typically over by early December. Still, some areas are able to harvest their crop through January and into February, depending on how cold it gets during that time of year where they live.

2) Grain will typically be harvested with a combined harvester.

One of the most common ways for farmers worldwide to cut down their grain crop is by using an incredibly powerful tool called a “combine harvester.” Combine harvesters usually consist of six separate parts that work together like gears within one another; these parts include sieves (which separate out the chaff, straw, and other smaller items), a cleaning arm (which can be folded back over the machine when it’s not needed), threshing drums (which mechanically break down grain kernels) and their rotating separators.

Combine harvesters are often at least 25 feet long with cabins that sit on top of them for easy access by farmers as they drive around large fields looking for different areas to harvest from.

Combines usually have several cameras attached, which help give drivers a better view of what they’re driving through so that they don’t accidentally damage any crops or equipment while harvesting and transporting grains to market.

3. Harvesting grains requires a lot of manual labor.

The combine harvester does all of the work, but it still requires a lot of manual labor from farmers to help guide them as they drive throughout fields for harvesting. Farmers need to make sure that grain isn’t too wet or dry after being harvested and transported into storage bins by their combine harvesters.

During harvest time, there will be extra people on farms helping out with things like planting new crops in areas where others have already been harvested so that food production can continue year-round without interruption.

4. The grain needs to be dried before it can be stored.

All harvested grain needs to be dried before it’s stored, which is why many farmers will have their own individual drying machines close by so that they can get the grains ready for storage quickly. Farmers typically harvest in 50-pound bags and store them away until needed for processing or cooking at home.

Grain must stay dry while being transported from fields during harvesting to its destination location, where it’ll be processed into flours, cereals, rice, etc. If not handled correctly, there could be serious issues with spoilage when transporting grain long distances due to weather conditions along the way. This includes everything from rainstorms ruining freshly cut crops up to heatwaves, causing wheat kernels to pop open on hot asphalt roads throughout the summer and fall months.

Grain must also be protected from pests such as rats, mice, and birds while it’s being stored for later use by either processing companies or home consumers who buy large bags of grains at the store to cook with at home.

The storage process usually involves sealing grain in special airtight bins, which help prevent moisture from building up inside them throughout colder winter months when they aren’t needed by farmers anymore. This helps make sure that insects don’t have an opportunity to get into the bin once it has been sealed shut until springtime rolls around again when farmers will need their fields harvested a second time before planting new crops for next year’s growing season begins!