WOYM 310 - On The Road Again
This week on Wheat’s On Your Mind, we catch up with Lyle Friesen from Friesen Harvesting.
Lyle’s part of a family that’s been cutting wheat since 1949, and he’s got a lifetime of stories and lessons from the road.
He walks us through what harvest season looks like for his crew—from the early starts in Oklahoma to wrapping up in Montana—and how things have changed (and stayed the same) over the years.
Lyle discusses everything from equipment and weather delays to hiring the right crew and maintaining a smooth operation.
He even shares some lighter moments—like tornado chasers surrounding a field and what happens when you accidentally cut the wrong crop!
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like behind the wheel of a combine or wanted a peek into the world of custom harvesting, this one’s for you.
10 Key Takeaways
Friesen Harvesting began in 1949 and has remained a family operation for three generations.
The crew cuts approximately 30,000 acres per year from Oklahoma to northern Montana.
Weather variability and hail are among the biggest challenges to successful harvests.
Changing wheat varieties and crop rotations have complicated harvest planning.
Harvest operations now prioritize speed and efficiency, often completing jobs in days rather than weeks.
Most of the crew is recruited from dairy farms in the eastern U.S., not via foreign visa programs.
Elevators are faster than in the past due to infrastructure improvements but serve less wheat.
Operational costs and economic uncertainty weigh on both harvesters and farmers.
The Friesen family balances harvest operations with cattle and crop farming back home.
The business remains rooted in faith, tradition, and strong customer relationships.
Timestamps
[00:00–01:02] – Introduction to Lyle Friesen and Friesen Harvesting’s family history
[01:03–02:02] – How the business got started in 1949 and its connection to one long-time customer
[02:03–02:18] – Headquarters in Meade, KS; overview of their farm and cattle operation
[02:19–02:43] – Annual harvest route from Oklahoma to Montana
[02:44–03:08] – Typical harvest timeline: mid-May through early September
[03:09–03:38] – Consistency in customer base and changing job availability over time
[03:39–04:11] – Equipment rundown: combines, trucks, grain carts
[04:12–05:17] – Crew structure and pre-season crop conditions across states
[05:18–06:00] – Biggest challenges: weather damage and field loss
[06:01–06:52] – Dealing with rain delays and trying to split crews
[06:53–07:42] – Impact of wheat variety maturity differences on harvest planning
[07:43–08:56] – How harvesting has sped up and customer expectations have shifted
[08:57–09:42] – Yield improvements and issues with stripper headers
[09:43–10:54] – Generational transitions and working with organic farms
[10:55–11:33] – Most satisfying and most difficult parts of the job
[11:34–12:00] – Why they don’t use the H-2A visa program
[12:01–13:28] – Changes in elevators and grain handling over time
[13:29–14:32] – Economic pressures: costs, prices, and farmer sentiment
[14:33–15:12] – Size of customer jobs and how harvest works in Montana
[15:13–16:30] – Favorite harvest locations and what they do on downtime
[16:31–17:13] – How the family splits up duties back home during harvest
[17:14–18:21] – Can someone new break into custom harvesting today?
[18:22–19:39] – Wild stories: tornado chasers and cutting the wrong field
[19:40–20:27] – Lyle’s 50th harvest and future plans
[20:28–20:45] – Closing remarks and contact info
Kansas Wheat
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