The End Of Harvest

We finally wrapped up corn harvest on the third of December.
Subscribe to How Farms Work ► bit.ly/XYVvDd
How Farms Work Store ► www.HowFarmsWork.com/store.html
Facebook ► on. YpS8oH
Follow us on Snapchat: ► / howfarmswork
Become a Member! ➤ / @howfarmswork
Business Inquiries: [e-mail]
Winter Schedule
Our schedule may vary, but expect a new video every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11AM Central!
How Farms Work by Ryan Kuster is a KZbin channel based in rural Potosi, Wisconsin.
Our mission is to teach those who didn't grow up on a farm what the farming life is like.
These videos show the Kuster family working together raising cattle and crops. We believe everyone who wants to know more about farming should be able to share the farming experience with us and we look to educate the world on many essential agriculture topics.
How Farms Work takes place on ~1,100 acres with around 75-200 cattle at any given time. Four John Deere tractors are currently used on the farm, which are a 4020, 4640, 7600, and 8235R.

[@CJ9899]

The fact that you bring your dogs with you in the semi warms my heart

[@Kugerand727]

Those two dogs crack me up. I bet they make good road companions.

[@jasonpet1]

Can't find em grind em is what I was told. Love seeing the dogs with you.

[@johnreynolds8170]

The best thing about being a farmer is you get to do a little bit of everything

[@docphillips5153]

To all on the farm, A joyous Holiday Season, Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous and safe 2020. We will keep watching.

[@bluemtnsman]

I firmly believe in holding to your personal standards. Kudos to you for doing so. There were several weeks worth of videos this year that had me cringing for you guys because of the ill timed rain events. Looking forward to your winter videos and a huge thank you for letting us ride along with you.

[@danielroachnebo]

A little advice on the down shifting the semi, when your down shifting and need to raise the rpm to find the gear your going for, you should press the throttle for a slow increase in rpm, the fast bump you did was to fast and it caused the rpm to pass the point where you could have went into gear, and when down shifting put less force on the stick when going into gear and you can feel the light touching of shift collar teeth and will be able to tell when it's close to go into the gear.

[@klyonsden]

I agree with Mr. Roach here. If you do it this way with mild pressure on the stick, it will almost suck right in to gear.

[@americasdream1265]

shifting down, raise your rpms shifting up lower your rpms that's the way it is

[@ginggur17]

I agree. The same way we used to drive an Eaton Twin Splitter box here in the UK.

[@HowFarmsWork]

I've found I'm still a bit too aggressive on the shifts, slowing down what I'm doing has helped, but I've got a ways to go yet. Thanks for the tip!

[@jeffreybroadbent7318]

@@HowFarmsWork You could also use the clutch and double the clutch. Clutch in half way, shift to neutral, clutch out give it some rpm, and clutch in half way and shift in to gear. Or else you could ignore my advice and practice flat shifting a lot more.

[@MatthewHoag77]

2019 is one to remember. Real farming will never be as simple as Farm Sim or other games, but the rewards and risks are equally real. It's been a fun year to follow along from a distance. Hopefully, 2020 is an even better one with continued operational growth and interesting subject material. Thanks for putting so much of it out here for us to witness.

[@c_games5665]

Matthew Hoag yes, but in real life while you may earn more, you have to spend a ton of money with bills, taxes, and fertilizers, seed, etc. I still love the farming simulator series, though.

[@robertg.9964]

Ryan, just a thought and easy thing to build. If no one uses the passenger seat in the truck while you have the dogs, build a 4 sided box using hinges and small dead bolt, like you use on a bedroom door. The box will have three sides and a top with a secured rug on top. This way your dogs can sit up high to see out the windows. The rug will allow them to have a grip with their claws. The dead bolts and hinges will allow you to dis-assemble and fold up to place it in the sleeper when you need the passenger seat back. Just a thought. Hope you had fun at the FBN Greet and Meet conference. Saw some You Tube videos of you on stage with Nick, Zak, Meredith, FastAG and the TX dude. Very funny vids. BTW, on corn, here in CT, I still see few hundred acres of corn not harvested. The weather has not given any of the farmers a long enough window to harvest. Snow, Rain, Snow, Rain, standing water, then mud, standing water, then mud. Deer are really happy though, hunters are not because the deer are not leaving the fields. LOL Hunter stuck up in their tree stands waiting, waiting....

[@mopeman440]

Congratulations on finishing the harvest, I've watched every video and it's been a struggle to remember.

[@michaelweatherhead9470]

I stalled out on a steep hill with a loaded stepdeck not to heavy ,but pucker factor for sure got it going.

[@robbybachmann8061]

Those were some great shifts Ryan! You have definitely improved!

[@billc3271]

Having that semi has helped you guys so much press on gentlemen

[@lylestatzer7112]

Downshifting uphill is not hard, the trouble you have is a super 10 transmission. When ever you get the opportunity to upgrade to a 13 speed, life will be good

[@blueradar3836]

Agreed. Super 10s are garbage. 13 is ok, but get an 18. Just like a 13 but you can split the bottom half too.

[@lylestatzer7112]

@@blueradar3836 18 is good but not best for hauling farm to elevator. Why add 250 more pounds to truck with 18 versus 13. 13 is same weight as junk 10.

[@blueradar3836]

@@lylestatzer7112 maybe so but I think the 250lbs would be worth it. My skinny ass will make up for that added weight... 😂😂😂 I pulled an eleven axle gravel train setup for ten years. Had a 13 and that shift from low to high range was a huge jump when loaded and going up hill. Would have loved an 18 for those hills to split the bottom half. But then again Ryan is only pulling a tandem axle and not gravel train weight. He would definitely enjoy a 13 over that super 10.

[@piperdoug428]

We aim to lock in atleast 25% of our crop before seeding, March pricing is usually good for some volatile market action, Basis is a killer up here too as the rail system is in charge at the end of the day. you guys are lucky to grow corn where you are as it is way more forgiving during tough harvest conditions. we had to leave 40 acre of soy and 5 acre of flax out till next year.

[@ChrisTessmer]

Still harvesting here in south east Michigan. Last year was the first year I didn't harvest in December.

[@MrBigrigdaddy]

Great video-camera work as usual. Thanks you Ryan,I look forward to and watch them all. Congrats on another growing season and I look forward to the next one.

[@augustreil]

Great video. Thanks for taking us along today and this year.

[@SomeGuyFromOttawa]

Thanks for the updates Ryan, glad you are all officially done and you can take a bit of a breather before you move on to all the other work you still need to get done! Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

[@markb.1259]

Harvest Complete! That means you're on vacation 'til planting time next Spring... Right? :-) Thank You to you and your farming family for what y'all do!!!

[@dennis2376]

What a beautiful day! What a great job of photography.

[@ronaldspruill2247]

It will be what it is when it is!

[@dankarp3192]

Thanks for all the great videos Ryan. Glad to see harvest is in the books. Stay safe and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[@billsexton4811]

Hell Ryan , I’m so glad you guys got your crops harvested . Farming is a tough and risky business . I really believe fall tillage is the key in your area with the short growing season . The ground will dry out so much faster in the spring , so you will be able to plant it earlier . Thank you for all the great videos !

[@IHVA-ir9gp]

Great job Ryan. Keep up the good work and look forward to the upcoming vids and nexts years family efforts.

[@whitechurchfarm]

Thank you Ryan, I appreciate it. We just have a small cattle herd in south-central Missouri and never have to face any of the issues you have to face as a crop farmer. I have learned a lot about corn, harvesting corn, row crops. Thank you again I have a new found respect for you guys up north looking forward to next year.

[@kevinwillis9126]

Thanks for the vid Ryan...

[@hunterstacil4232]

Great vid ryan and glad to see yall are finished, be careful with all the snow and ice.🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🇱🇷🤠

[@MsSunwatcher]

The corn looks like gold.

[@dankinnard1833]

Enjoyed all of the videos throughout the entire year, especially the drone videos, beautiful country out there but I am partial to contour farming and the drone provides a nice view of this type of farming. Thanks for providing the summation at the tail end of this video on the corn crop for the year, personally for me I find this to be very informative on how a farm works! Being a farmer you can look/reflect back over the past growing season and see/realize what has been accomplished, that has to be very rewarding, not all occupations provide this. Thanks again, looking forward to the coming months, have a safe holiday season, Merry Christmas!

[@bummer1961]

Well done Ryan I enjoy your videos thanks for sharing with all of us.

[@tomcleghorn4005]

Great video. Thanks for sharing all that information at the end...

[@jeffslaven]

Another season in the bag. Must be a great feeling. Time to clean and service machinery and hunker down to the winter mode. Look forward to the next video!

[@Newallofficial]

It seemed like it was a challenging harvest but glad you boys made it through. I loved all the angles of seeing the Freightshaker running. You seem more comfortable in it, and I may not be a real trucker but trust me even on American Truck Simulator, downshifting uphills always gets me. lol

[@ginggur17]

Damn that stack purrs a treat.

[@ginggur17]

Happy holidays to you and your whole family Ryan.

[@robertstibz9506]

Enjoyed watching your videos this season

[@14Marathons]

Congratulations on the end of harvest. Great video and channel.

[@doclull1989]

Hey Ryan!! Glad the season is over and looking forward to next year!

[@HowFarmsWork]

Thanks Darrin!

[@ustinman8446]

GREAT Move, getting your own Truck saving a lot of downtime waiting for trucks.

[@theyarddogs4100]

Congrats on getting done looking forward to next year. Carl

[@ernestdougherty3162]

Good job happy for yall you did have a good year

[@red_power79]

I'm really ready to say happy new year to 2020

[@stevenlbonds007]

Keep up with the good work.

[@rocksandoil2241]

If all the family is well and still loves you, and you are still in your upright and locked position...then God has blessed you. As a farmer will always say, "There's always next year."

[@samrugtiv3839]

All in all sod buster a good season and was a safe one .thanks for all the video s. Sam see you next year sod buster

[@treytonzoss1853]

Congrats guys! This year has been a challenge, to say the least. I hope that you guys can settle down for a while!

[@bevspecht5221]

Glad you are finely done. But here Ontario Canada there still alot of corn standing but at least standing up rain and snow soft fields are holding them up as well injoy your videos

[@HartungFamilyFarms]

Quote of the week: ‘2 happy little mud submarines’ haha

[@tedb.5707]

ON the old Cat D2 and D4 AG-crawlers for field-work and logging the front roller would be set several inches above the line of the idlers rollers and the drive-roller. That way the the tracks would ride-up on the soil. For construction or industrial work the entire track would be at the same height. The tracks of the JBC might be adjustable to change the ride-height of the idlers when sitting on a level piece of concrete to lift the front-roller up a bit. That way the tracks might be less-prone to digging-down into the soil. Maybe a separate row of holes for the idler suspension?

[@leol1682]

Ryan it was a very good video , Love it .

[@SteveHolsten]

Thanks Ryan for the good video; especially all the different camera angles on Big Red.

[@Waterloo68069]

Great job, you guys gave great work ethic! Hope you enjoyed Omaha!

[@danfinley3690]

I’ve been catching up on the videos love the drone footage

[@clinthochrein888]

Sounds like big red has leaky header? Great seeing dogs riding in ol big red.

[@tomasisp]

Try give on some accelerator between shifting, it will sinhronize the sprockets of gears

[@andreas404746]

Great video as always. Andreas from Sweden

[@cdarting91]

Should put a couple of doggie beds in the sleeper! lol

[@michaelfenner1715]

Get your rpms up a little higher on the up shift and get your rpms higher on the down shift between gear

[@tedwpx123]

Great video. Liked your honest presentation. helps everyone. Would you consider your next semi having an Allison automatic transmission?

[@HowFarmsWork]

If I had the option I would!

[@mikeschwandt6050]

Do you have stalk stoppers on the Capello corn head? Any tire damage? Enjoy the videos!

[@user-gr5cv9zi5v]

Congratulations on the end of the harvest!Greetings from Ukraine!

[@jark2552]

Truck sounds really cool froam outside neare the exaust

[@1970sRacing]

Now enjoy a Potosi Beer!!!

[@a.j.leonard964]

Rocket is like this is not the 82 lol

[@blueradar3836]

To lessen the bouncing around when you're upshifting don't let your foot completely off the accelerator when you use the air shifter. Super 10s and any air shifter (splitting gears) initiates the shift when the rpms drop 2,000 rpm (I believe it's 2,000 but could be wrong). Just a slow raise of the foot partially up and not completely off.

[@bethfrazier414]

200 bushels per is not too shabby. Good work!

[@zitro97m81]

When you go to downshift up hill , try rev maching it makes it a whole lot smoother of a transition

[@brandoncaldwell95]

Basically what he has been trying to do. Step on on the throttle with a little pressure waiting for it to slide in and hope it hits before the hill takes the speed.

[@carterbowe9964]

Indeed

[@reggiefaggart196]

Good job Ryan, Merry Christmas to you and you family from China Grove, N.C.

[@brentanderson8147]

At least you're done with Harvest there are a bunch of us that aren't I'm really close but in my area there is still a lot of soybeans and corn to be harvested yet

[@zilla2006able]

I better Ryan glad to be done with harvest

[@joshbabcock4244]

Yes Ryan there is a silver bullet to farming it’s called Coors light

[@boerbrabant]

This is your best/coolest vid ever. You didn't bring one but 2 dogs in one cab😉

[@RKHarm24]

Ryan, the way you set up 2019 Harvest videos as a series worked out great. The intro is very good too. I know there was frustration with Mother Nature, and she wins through drought or flooding. The frustration level was noted through your brother and his videos. I don't know if you drink coffee, if so, hope you enjoyed it. Keep Kuster Farms Up and Going with #brcc

[@HowFarmsWork]

Yes! Thanks for sending it!

[@RKHarm24]

@@HowFarmsWork y'all are very welcome. To keep Dad awake while harvesting. No sleepy in the combine.

[@dimduk]

Glad it was a safe harvest, I've seen too much hurry end up too much hurt.

[@davidwpinkston4226]

amen

[@lukestrawwalker]

Yeah corn was coming out of the field wet last year... we sat for over a week to give it a chance to dry down some-- every time we nosed into a field, it would be running up like 26%, driest was like 23%, and the BIL doesn't like to even start til it's around 21%. After a week, it *maybe* lost 1-2 points, at most. SO, we just went with it. Once we found out what drying costs were gonna be (about 30 cents a bushel in town) his Dad didn't like that math, so he busted out the checkbook and bought a new fan and dryer for the bin... so most of it went into the bin, got dried down for a few days, and then trucked out to the elevator... just kept binning, drying, and hauling til we were done. I know it's tough for you guys having three separate operations basically run as one, but it might well be worth a look at what a fan and dryer would cost to add to a bin so you could dry your own, because it's almost always cheaper to dry your own than haul it and have them dry it and eat the charges... It's like having a truck and hauling your own versus hiring it all hauled-- it just adds flexibility and cost-savings long term to your operation. In farming, it's often the dollar you save is the dollar you make... I know even years ago we figured out pretty quick that trucking was basically eating up most of our grain profits... so we bought an old truck and "got by". Yeah, there's extra expense in buying/maintaining the extra equipment, and the extra work operating it, BUT all those things apply just as equally to a subcontractor being hired to do the work, PLUS you gotta pay his labor and expenses as well PLUS he wants/needs to make a profit on top of it, which comes out of YOUR pocket. It's about like how I read all this stuff from the gubmint and farming mags and (usually) BTO custom baler guys saying "if you're not baling 1000 bales a year, you shouldn't even OWN a baler-- better to buy all your hay or hire it done". Yeah, til you can't get hay, or they leave you sitting while they're off doing something else or broke down or whatever while your hay crop gets over mature and turns into cardboard in the field, etc... If you're raising cattle in my experience by the time you BUY hay or pay for all of it to be custom baled, there went your profits... SO what's the point?? Later! OL J R :)

[@markhelming58]

Ryan check out Right Weigh load scales. Once calibrated they read in weight. I think your Freightliner dealer might carry them. I have them on my truck and trailer. They work very well

[@phillippeterman1051]

Looking forward to seeing some cows / calves....

[@pjweir9220]

When it’s warmer. Big red some polish.

[@mikebonge7206]

Seems like the longest harvest ever. And I am just watching on KZbin. You are shifting machine Just that railroad. Nice review

[@wsawatzky6956]

You should’ve heard your intern washing all your vehicles😁

[@markarmitage7411]

Pick your gear at the bottom of the hill. Thats how I do it in the non powershift tractors.

[@wrightfarmshoffman8663]

Great video and breakdown of the whole year , just think Ryan in 4 months you will be planting again , time to rest and feed cattle and look to calving in spring , and take care of any repairs and time to reflect on the year and upcoming next year !

[@credixon8203]

AKA KREE. CONGRATULATIONS. RYAN ON A. GREAT. YEAR AS YOU SAID. THANKS FOR THE VIDEOS. ON THE DAY TO DAY. HOW FARMS WORK 2019 BLESSINGS

[@garyfaulds2008]

I started driving truck with B trains when I was nineteen, I'm 52 years old the shifting will come time . Lol👍

[@andrewbusshardt4533]

Great video and glad to see your done with harvest!!! Do u use the bin at your place anymore at all??? Just wondering. Keep up the awesome videos Ryan and have a good one

[@HowFarmsWork]

We don’t use it anymore because it’s rotted at the base

[@andrewbusshardt4533]

Oh okay thats what i thought thanks for answering back i appreciate it!!

[@niklaseriksson3343]

Will you give the grain doors on the trailer an overhaul this winter? Love the content, this is one of my favourite YT channels. Cheers from Sweden.

[@augustreil]

I would like to see a rebuilding of them also.

[@brentfarrow8125]

Damn you getting good at shifting there young man 😎

[@ginggur17]

You’ll see where the sweet spot is on ya Rev counter when changing down. You’ll get there.

[@scottyscott9965]

Are you floating or double clutching? Either way, when rev matching uphill it’s a much lighter touch than needed on the flats. Take care Ryan.

[@cassiuspuckett8789]

Great video Ryan!!! Question, did you say in one of your early videos that Big Red doesn't have Jake's? You really need Jake's on your truck working in and around the hills you guys are running in. They really do help and do save on your service brakes. I really thought you would have had a better yield on your corn than you did with all the rain you had, tho I agree too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Oh well, hopefully next year things will go better for you. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the year in review.....

[@remingtonposthuma1633]

Why is there a football helmet in the sleeper part of the semi?

[@HowFarmsWork]

Just in case dad or Travis decide to drive

[@94_Chevy_Z71]

@@HowFarmsWork for you, or them?

[@richardmiller3919]

Florida St Seminoles logo on helmet

[@dougeubank]

Hello Ryan, what is the head you use on your power washer, great videos and I know ya'll are glad to see the harvest be done with. But like you said there is still plenty of work and videos for us to come. Thanks

[@darynbernard5217]

Ryan, I enjoy your videos very much. Several times you have posted video with your white barn in the background. Have you considered putting a new roof on the old girl? Also, have you considered wheeling out the paint on Big Red with a buffing wheel? I think she deserves it!

[@davidjrlocilento3353]

You guys should get the truck Repaint it

[@mattw6585]

Some of your video shots from your truck(around the 9:00-10:00min mark) remind me of scenes from the movie “Duel”. Lol

[@logpile1318]

Looking for your video from Omaha

[@matthewrenshaw]

Great video Ryan. Maybe a good off season video would be to talk about the business side of things... Yield, drying per bushel, transport per bushel etc. To a lot of people, farming is just cruising around in a tractor. Would be interesting to see the buying/selling/marketing side of things, which you alluded to say the end of this video :)

[@robhakeman5873]

I enjoyed watching your harvest videos Ryan, actually I like watching all your videos as it gives me memories of farming before I got hurt. I would like to see you and Travis and your dad at a sitdown live video with comments from questions we send to you during the chat. Do you think the grain cart and Big Red saved you time and money this year compared to other years ? Any thoughts of CUSTOM hauling of grain especially during the winter. We bought a used semi flatbed from Morton Buildings and hauled hay to a feedlot and to sale barn auctions just a thought that you could haul cornstalks or hay if you had a flatbed. Any thoughts of buying a cappello cornhead and grain cart in the future. You should have a curtain or some kind of a way to make the machine shed into a heated shop in the winter so you can work on machinery instead of a knipco for heating. If you ever decide to trade or get a different grain trailer get one with a roll tarp as they save you alot of time in getting in and out of your truck.

[@robhakeman5873]

Ryan I meant remote roll tarp