Detasseling Starts Today
- Thread starter Cycofan1
- Start date
That is one job I will never do again. I hated reaching in there and pulling the tassle when it was filled with aphids.
And then working so hard in the heat that you eventually threw up in the field. It just sucked all around.
And then working so hard in the heat that you eventually threw up in the field. It just sucked all around.
Ahh...what memories this conjures up in my mind. This was a great paying summer job back in the day...what do they pay now? We used to both walk and ride back in the day...is it all riding now? How many weeks will you be detasseling? I assume you start at daybreak and work until sunset like we did back in the day...correct?
I detassled with my first girlfriend around 1980 (we were freshman in HS). Her and I did our share of messing around while working but managed to finish the rows we were supposed to. A short time later we got calls letting us know that we had to redo the entire area supposedly because we didn't do it correctly. I remember my girlfriend's parents calling my parents and getting upset saying that I kept their daughter from working responsibly (there may be a little truth to this). Again, a week or so later the rest of their family received calls also saying everyone had to redo their areas...including my girlfriend's mom and dad.
I think everyone that calls themselves an Iowan needs to have done this. I am trying to get Deace out to do it, since he has not.
It's suck work...good pay for a certain age, but still, one of my least favorite things I have ever done...its the soaking wet to scorching heat...its the corn cuts all over you, including your eyes...then the sweat burning them later in the day...its the closing of the eyes at night and seeing only green...and the instant dread you have when you go to bed knowing you have to do it all over again in the morning.
Then having that expert picker boss get on you because you are pulling too many leaves, or missing too many tassels.
It's suck work...good pay for a certain age, but still, one of my least favorite things I have ever done...its the soaking wet to scorching heat...its the corn cuts all over you, including your eyes...then the sweat burning them later in the day...its the closing of the eyes at night and seeing only green...and the instant dread you have when you go to bed knowing you have to do it all over again in the morning.
Then having that expert picker boss get on you because you are pulling too many leaves, or missing too many tassels.
I also bailed hay and I was put in the barn. Did i mention that I have allergies? Not a pretty site.
As far as detasseling, this is where I first learned about chafing:smile:. I've ran 26.2 miles and still never chafed as much as I did while detasseling. Thought everyone would like to hear that story.
As far as detasseling, this is where I first learned about chafing:smile:. I've ran 26.2 miles and still never chafed as much as I did while detasseling. Thought everyone would like to hear that story.
Did it five (maybe six?) summers in a row as a teenager. Also walked beans and rogued. God, what horrible, horrible work. Made a ton of money for a kid in a short amount of time, but holy hell that was a brutal way to spend half a summer. Makes ya tough though, no doubt. None of those Naperville ******* I knew in college would've lasted three hours.
And Deace has NEVER detassled? Hmmm... Jon, I think might have a good idea for a week-long series for your show...
And Deace has NEVER detassled? Hmmm... Jon, I think might have a good idea for a week-long series for your show...
I rogued corn, detasseled and walked beans quite a bit in middle school and through HS. I agree with Jon, it should be a requirement to call yourself a true Iowan to have done at least one.
Jon just said you've never done it and he's trying to talk you into it? WTF?
Once I turned 17 I stopped doing things like detasseling and started doing things like picking up rocks. Picking up rocks was great because you would get 3-4 guys together and drink a lot of beer and then you'd hear "here comes dad". It's always a challenge trying to hide a couple cases of beer in an open farm field.
I've been pollinating soybean for three weeks already. Got another week to go and then a week vacation.
When I was 17 I had my own acres. A neighbor of mine had a niece that had visited every summer while were growing up. She was from VA, outside DC really. A bunch of us were talking about detassling. She wanted to do it because "it can't be as hard as you're making it." So I hired her to work my acres with me. It rained the night before. So when we went out it as like 100% humidity and tassels were bolted into place. She was only like 5'4" tall and the corn was very high that year. Then as soon as the sun got up it was like someone put you in the oven. She cried for like 8 hours straight, but she refused to stop and actually did a decent job. But she wouldn't come back the next day.
On the years when I was younger and was ona huge crew of like 40 people, I hated going to bed after about 3 days of detassling and "hearing" the "pop, pop, pop" of people pulling the tassels.
On the years when I was younger and was ona huge crew of like 40 people, I hated going to bed after about 3 days of detassling and "hearing" the "pop, pop, pop" of people pulling the tassels.
Yeah, this is what we I ended up doing too for roguing and detasseling both. That's where the real money was...contracting directly with the seed companies and having your own crew.
