With son-in-law Darrell Driggers at the controls and his son Eric and granddaughter Rylie, 2, riding along, combines were making progress at Jost Farms north of Hillsboro on Thursday evening. The second combine was operated by the family patriarch, Bert Jost, while grandson Daniel drove the tractor and grain wagon. Sons Keith and Clyde were attending to other tasks. Rain later that night and into Saturday morning temporary halted the 2008 wheat harvest in Marion County until Sunday.
Even with the extra moisture, grain elevator operators were still predicting a good harvest with little storm damage, although there were patchy reports of wind-blown wheat.
Stan Utting, manager of Agri-Producers Inc. at Tampa, said the harvest was proceeding evenly in all the communities served by the cooperative at about 30 percent completed by Friday. He said the wheat was still averaging a test weight of 60 pounds per bushel with field yields average or higher. Elevator workers at Cooperative Grain & Supply in Marion reported the same, with about 375,000 bushels in the elevator.
Harvest is a family project in these parts
