Binding and Stooking
The first step in harvesting grain is reaping, which means "to cut or gather." Early growers reaped their grain using a sickle or scythe. If you are using a sickle, you gather grain as you cut it in your opposite hand. If you are using a scythe, your goal is to "windrow" your grain, or lay it down with the heads neatly facing in one direction. Seen here, the harvesting is done with a (farm implement) Binder, pulled by a tractor. This process cuts and binds the wheat into stocks in one step.
Stooking S. Ontario style
Interested spectators
If the grain still needs to dry, you then shock, or stook the bundles in the field. The standing grain shocks shed rain and continue to ripen and dry until you are ready for the next step.
Tom Sawyer explaining how it's done.
The next step is threshing, which means "separating the grain from the plant." See our "Threshing" page for more info.