Golden opportunity with this year’s wheat harvest

Several years ago, photographing a wheat harvest near Bartlett, I was riding in a combine with a farmer as he navigated his equipment through a field. The late-day light gracing the golden crop was so inspiring, I asked if it was okay to get out and document it from the field. The farmer, knowing how much dust can be stirred up, was puzzled. 

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes, if it’s alright with you,” I replied. 

Sure enough, once on the ground taking photographs, I soon was covered in wheat debris, on my clothes, in my eyes and even in my lungs. The photos were divine, but getting the debris out of my system took over a week. 

That said, wheat continues to be one of my favorite crops to document. 

For whatever reason, more farmers are planting wheat this year. If recent outings are any indication, it will be a grand year for wheat production. 

The photos included here were taken over several days. Afternoon sunlight seemed to dance across the healthy pods, still mostly green. 

The first shots were taken east of Granger, where a group of deer darted from a corn field into the wheat, continuing onto nearby woods. Others were taken near Walburg and Bartlett. 

It began raining late Saturday evening, continuing into the early hours of Easter. Before daylight’s glare burned the raindrops away, I visited a field near our Taylor home for a few closeups. 

“Elegant” is a word used quite a bit in my writing, but when mentioning wheat, there’s no better description. 

My cameras will continue to record wheat’s progress, but I couldn’t ignore what’s already here. It’s a sure bet, however, I won’t stand in a wheat field during harvest. Well, maybe with goggles and a face mask!