Picking Corn at the 2021 Half Century of Progress Show

Picking Corn at the 2021 Half Century of Progress Show
Video of some of the ear corn pickers and shellers running at the 2021 Half Century of Progress Show in Rantoul Illinois.

[@jamied.2734]

Reminded me of my grandfather harvesting corn. Great memories. Thanks Mike!

[@ericteneyck8691]

I didn't grow up on a farm but we had some family friends that farmed so I got to take part in a few harvests. The people that raised my dad had a farm in western Iowa and one year when I was about nine we went up there. They still harvested the whole cob and I was put in charge of the elevator that took the cobs from the wagon to the crib. Handled jams and broken chains and got the job done. Pretty heady stuff for a 9 year old town kid. Great memories, thanks!

[@chrisgossman6512]

Just a little history on my subscription to your channel. A few years ago I was bed ridden for a few weeks lots time on my hands. I found pleasure by scrolling back to your first videos and watching all of them. First few were only a few seconds long. So I managed to put in a like on them all. I believe now that I might be one of the few subscribers that has liked them all to date. I like Mike 😁. Thank you for helping me a tough time. They tell me that now I am healthy and well. I feel great.

[@farmhandmike]

Wow that amazing. I have over 1200 videos and yes when I started out I had no idea what I was doing (maybe still don't) but you definitely seen how this all progressed from just a short video of a tractor going by the camera to me merging several clips together then later adding drone footage to then narrating the video to talk about what is going on in the video. I never imagined it would ever turn into something like it is now. Several farm KZbin channels have come and gone in this time and several really grew fast. I say my channel is just slow and steady.

[@chrisgossman6512]

@@farmhandmike Yes it has been fun watching the evolution of your channel. Cheerleader videos to snowmobiling, tractor pulling, and many various types of of farming. Surprises all of the time. Kate's farm to fashion being the latest. Those guys in Montana gathering hay stacks..really cool. I like Mike 😁 Keep em coming. I Will be watching.

[@brianjonker510]

Also saw a ford 4000!! Didn't think any were around anymore. Not only that but looks to be fully restored. Certainly is a striking shade of blue

[@DG-ne8iq]

In France we knew Oliver, Mc Cormick, J-Deere, New-idea, (1 and 2 rows) (my father had a n°7 from 1955 to 1965) but the other brands (M&M, Ford...etc.. not imported. In France we had wetter conditions for harvesting, we quickly switched either to the N-Idea with tilting hopper on a drawbar, or to the one-row mounted tractor without wheels with a hopper above the tractor: Benac and Riviere-Casalis made in France. From 1960 onwards, all our tractors had a hydraulic lift and the 4 x 4 tractors appeared. Our corn could not dry naturally at - 36%. Since 1975, the hybrids have improved in precocity and are harvested at 25%, sometimes 20. That signed the end of the corn-pickers. Thank you for the memory of the corn cribs all in length at home. Threshing in the following May at 15%. Thanks Mike

[@donzender9008]

So awesome to see! Thank you for taking the video, editing and allowing us to watch! Grew up with a corn picker and hauling wagons to the wooden crib and the later steel mesh cribs. A lot of old timers had a great day watching this in action.

[@joemueth4077]

Thanks Mike for another cool video. Glad you got to visit with the Renner Stock Farm fellas. We love em down here in Belleville IL.

[@nickpersenaire4443]

You are definitely right Mike, it was a great show. Went for the day on Saturday we will be back in 2023 for sure. Hopefully for more than one day.

[@andywintz959]

Great video Mike! I remember as a kid my grandpa always picked 2 corn cribs of ear corn with a JD 2 row mounted picker every fall and then had the neighbor finish harvest with his International combine. Great memories!

[@davidbohner6218]

Hi Mike, thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I enjoyed my first time to that huge show . This video is way better than the one I took ! Keep the videos coming it is way better than watching the regular TV .

[@thr8061]

When I was a kid in the early 70s, my Dad first tried out a 1 row Oliver corn picker and then a 2 row. Neither did a real good job of husking the corn and they seemed slow. My Dad got a 1 row New Idea and then upgraded to a brand new 2x36" New Idea picker. It was fast and husked the cobs clean. I loved picking corn early in the morning when our wet ground was still frozen. I would pick 10 300 bu gravity wagons full using our MF 1135 tractor with an aftermarket cab (that had heat, but no A/C). I would then switch it from 540 to 1000 pto, hook it up to our Farmhand grinder/blower and then grind those 10 loads. That was my life as a teenager!

[@bobsmith1814]

Great video, Mike. Bring back memories of my grandfather harvesting corn in Iowa in the sixties

[@ndtschau]

I really love this classic farm-equiptment! Thanks a lot for this video! 😊👍🏻

[@tompinnef6331]

Am old enough to remember the farm next door using tractor mounted 2 row and a pull behind later on. Sadly that farm is long gone and nothing but housing. After harvest, running about the field looking for left over ears to feed the squirrels. (with farmer permission). Farmer James (Mr James) was a good old guy. He didnt mind use feeding his 'tree rats'. LOL Thank you for the video.

[@luisnunes7933]

Hello! These old tractors and equipment are more valuable than some people that never produced anything...

[@Thewaywefarm]

Great video, I’m excited about next year’s show and seeing you too!

[@SimonKL11]

It's always great to see corn pickers out in the field😉👍

[@davidarnett5113]

Love to see the old equipment run.

[@oliverstacy]

Really like the Oliver equipment at 13:58, great stuff!

[@markrskinner]

Some good-looking classics there.

[@Fedharrison5634]

Very cool seeing the oldies...

[@barrybardo3249]

Dad's going to love this video can't wait to show him 🖒

[@darrensmith327]

Good morning Mike great video. Sorry i missed you up at the half centuryofprogressshow. I would of really liked to of met you Mike and talk with you.I was there Friday and Saturday but i did get to meet the Harmless Farmer Andy Detwiler and wife Corkey Detwiler and his dad Tom Detwiler they are really nice people i really enjoyed talking with them. Have a great day and week Mike.

[@ChevyConQueso]

I have not noticed much Ford power in the previous videos I've seen of this show, so I'm glad to see an N model, Jubilee, and a 4000 row crop. They are all over the place around here and still in use for utility tractors, but everyone always brings the JD and IH machines out instead. I always love seeing the AC, Oliver, Cockshutt etc. too.

[@Agriculturespotter]

Great machines there, really interesting!

[@alanpeters9241]

Nice video Mike love those nf also seen a couple mm pickers that's what we had

[@fredf3391]

The MTA with the female operator was Electrifying also pulling Electric wagon. I like she got in there and showed the boy's how it's done Outstanding video

[@jamesharrier6633]

Lotta New Idea equipment. We had an old number 7 we pulled with our JD 60

[@brianjonker510]

Oliver was ahead of its time. I wonder if those mounted pickers work as well as I think they do.

[@benhall2146]

That wood gravity box was really interesting! I'd like to know more about it

[@randykelbough5954]

Hi Mike I’m Randy Kelbough from Canora Saskatchewan Canada I am scribed to your videos channel to and Kate’s ag video channel to that is where I found out about you watching Kate’s video I sure enjoyed watching all the old tractors my dad used to have a farmal m I have a alliss chalmer model b I inherited from my dad I sure enjoyed watching all the tractors I will continue watching all yours and Kate’s videos I find them very interesting where I live most of the crops are wheat and cereal grains and peas and canola

[@deercreekmechanical]

I arrived Wednesday afternoon and went each day and didn’t leave until 2 Sunday. First time and definitely won’t be the last now.

[@centralillinoisfarmer7311]

Cool to see I made it into your video I was picking with the John Deere 60 standard with the Minneapolis Moline picker

[@farmhandmike]

Very cool!

[@AndreiTupolev]

I love all this stuff from the years long before air conditioned cabs and GPS autosteer

[@samspade4634]

Mike, were those 30 or 40 inch rows. A lot of that old stuff was set up for the wide 40 inch rows. Thanks for another great video. You hardly see corn picking any more.

[@farmhandmike]

I think everything here was 30 inch rows.

[@stumpy2816]

Awesome 👍👍

[@jojodancer4947]

The combines today do such a good job crushing and spreading the plant material, what did the farmer of yesteryear do? Did they disc it all till it was broken up enough? Disc then plow it in?

[@vernt4583]

We’ve advanced a whole lot with equipment and tractors getting more advanced with computerized technology and size

[@MegaDayful]

When and where will it be held next year? I'm from the UK , would love to organize a trip over in 2022 to see all the great equipment !

[@michaeleaston547]

I believe it's every two years, so 2023. Plenty of time to plan.

[@MegaDayful]

@@michaeleaston547 thanks

[@peterbiltpilot516]

Is the row spacing 30 inches there? I didn't think mounted pickers could do narrow row corn

[@jeffmcdaniel5826]

My grandpa had a new idea 2 row picker. He pulled it with a 200AC. Id like to find one and put out a few acres just for fun.

[@aidencrawford5977]

Could you do a video on shelling the corn

[@hookmaster1109]

Awesome. these rigs probably cost under 10k. Today a combine and corn head costs about $1 million yet the price of corn is the same....progress right? At least for some.

[@John-rr4zz]

Your video clips are good. There's no manic heavy metal music and you let the machinery do the talking. It's good to hear your commentary and the music that you do use compliments the action. With all of the machine videos how much of the product goes out the back door.? Such as these pickers how many corn cobs are still on the stalk after the machine has run through. Do modern machines glean a higher percentage of product over the old machines or is it just a case of the modern machines cover a larger area much faster.. Thanks for the videos from the UK.

[@rebelgaming7718]

What kinda sheller is that attached to the John Deere?at 9:54

[@scottpykare801]

What these farmers would've given to have just an air conditioned cab. Tough job but they got the work done!!!

[@MrPummi88]

Must be difficult to plow this ground with all that residue. Any videos of it?

[@farmhandmike]

They disk it several times before they plow it here at this show.

[@allenschmitz9644]

Oh they never got 'dusty' and sun burnt back in the day with these rigs.

[@piperdoug428]

Was good to see a Ford @ 7mins

[@MrNaylorchristopherl]

What do they do with all the ears of corn?

[@asmrhead1560]

They run it through a corn thresher to separate the corn from the cobs.

[@paulpochan9631]

I was there.....!!!! Was on foot didn't see ya....

[@farmhandmike]

I was on foot myself

[@arctic66farmer39]

A bit of a progress. One question: At 15:00. What type of tractor is this?

[@douglasmacarthur8775]

looks like a Ford 900 to me.

[@beebop9808]

Shuckin n drivin..... Awesome! lol

[@mr.whatever2435]

Nice👍

[@bryanhmn]

Are you going to the Steam Thrashers Reunion in Rollag, MN this weekend?

[@farmhandmike]

No I’m not

[@bryanhmn]

@@farmhandmike Have you ever been? It's awesome!

[@billsmith8739]

I have never seen a one row mounted corn picker...

[@mfreund15448]

My Uncle John lost his left hand in a corn picker accident.

[@farmhandmike]

Unfortunately I hear lots of people stories like this.

[@YouT-DJ]

Some old death-traps there. Brings back memories for sure.

[@mfreund15448]

My Uncle lost his left hand in a corn picker accident. Pulled it right off of his wrist.

[@YouT-DJ]

@@mfreund15448 Yeah very dangerous - our school janitor had one arm off at the elbow. I asked my Dad about it and he said got caught in old combine cleaning corn stalks off the head while running. took almost an hour for the belt to burn through, he was lucky to escape.

[@hocahalil398]

👍

[@glenncerny8403]

Can you think of a better way to get your crop harvested for free? Seriously I do love watching these old machines. :)

[@gasbags101]

half century ago? pretty sure we had more advanced equipment by the 70s. my guess is this stuff was probably used back in the 40s or 50s

[@brianhansen826]

Why are people skipping rows? I don't understand this, it's not a race to the other end

[@dmchristner]

👍😁🚜👍👏

[@franciscosandiego3026]

I like Mike less videos on KZbin, from the imperial co California.