About this experience
Spend a fall harvest day riding in the combine cab beside Hank as he harvests corn or soybeans, watching the yield monitor map the field in real time. You will also ride in the grain cart and see how trucks, bins and dryers keep up with the combine.
Over lunch in the machine shed, Hank opens up the business side: land rent, input costs, crop insurance and how he uses futures to lock in prices. You will check the morning grain markets with him and see why weather and a few cents a bushel matter so much.
Your day
- 8:00 AM
Coffee and grain markets
Check overnight grain prices and the weather forecast with Hank.
1 hr
- 9:00 AM
Combine ride
Ride in the cab as Hank harvests and explains the yield monitor and GPS guidance.
2 hr
- 11:00 AM
Grain cart and bins
Ride the grain cart and see the drying and storage system.
1 hr 30 min
- 12:30 PM
Lunch in the field
Harvest lunch and a conversation about the economics of farming.
1 hr
- 1:30 PM
Afternoon rounds
Back in the combine, then the end-of-day equipment check.
What’s included
- Field lunch
- Farm cap
- Printed yield map from the field you harvested
Good to know
- Closed-toe boots are required; wear layers and clothes that can get dusty.
- Guests ride in the cab only and stay clear of moving equipment at all times.
- Harvest runs on the weather; rain can shift the day, and harvest season is roughly late September to November.
Your curator
Hank Larsen4th-generation farmer, 25 harvestsHank Larsen is the fourth generation on his family farm, which grows corn and soybeans on about 5,000 acres. He studied agronomy before coming home and now runs the operation with his sister and a crew of six. He uses GPS-guided equipment and yield data to make nearly every decision.
View Hank’s profile
