* HOST: It's a big wide world out there beyond the suburbs and the beltways.

Did you know that sometimes the best corn is in the middle of the field, that you can tell a watermelon is ripe by listening to it, and that not all crops grow in the ground?

Don't go anywhere.

Stories about the people who grow our food are coming up next on Maryland Farm and Harvest .

ANNOUNCER: Major funding for Maryland Farm and Harvest is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board: Investing in smarter farming to support safe and affordable food, feed, and fuel, and a healthy Bay... Additional funding provided by... Maryland's Best: Good for You, Good for Maryland...

Rural Maryland Council, a collective voice for rural Maryland... MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain food and fiber enterprise for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: Lending Support to Agriculture and Rural America... Brought to you in part by a donation, from the Cornell Douglas Foundation...

The Maryland Soybean Board and Soybean Checkoff Program: Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, better lives through food...

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts... And by...

The Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association...

The Maryland Seafood Marketing Fund...

The Maryland Farm Bureau Incorporated...

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment... And by... Closed Captioning has been made possible by Maryland Relay, empowering those who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled to stay connected by phone.

* HOST: Here at Dell Brothers in Westminster, they just finished bringing in the last of the crops, which means their cattle will have plenty of feed for the winter.

Hi, I'm Joanne Clendining.

Today, we're really putting the harvest into Maryland Farm and Harvest .

Earlier in the season, we did a show all about planting.

Now, we're going back to those same farms, we visited in the spring, just in time to harvest the finished crops.

Coming up, we see how it takes many hands to pick a field of watermelon.

But first, we already learned that the work for growing corn starts way before the planter ever hits the field.

Well, as it turns out, the work doesn't end after the field is empty, either.

* MAEGAN MULLINS: The way the crop did this year is going to help a grower determine what they're going to plant next year.

So, the cycle just begins again, as soon as that crops off.

The work never stops.

JOANNE: Farmer Ricky Bauer can vouch for that, as he prepares for today's corn harvest.

The work starts with a routine checkup under the hood of the combine.

Ricky and his mechanical companion have a big task at hand, and they can't afford a breakdown.

RICKY BAUER: I usually...grease it, and I look it over in the morning and make sure, or try to find, if there is any problems, to alleviate the problem during the day.

[COMBINE SLAMS CLOSES] JOANNE: It was only a few months back in mid-May that Ricky and Maegan Mullins from Willard Agri-Service were in this exact same spot at Carroll Mill Farm in Howard County, mapping out what once was an empty field.

Many factors were taken into consideration before planting.

MAEGAN: Ideally, when a grower is shopping for seed corn, what they're going to look for is a CRM, which is a relative maturity date.

It's an estimation of the amount of time it's going to take for that corn plant to develop or mature.

JOANNE: This helps the growers determine how long they have until harvest, but it's not the only decision Ricky had to make when picking what to plant where.

Factors like soil quality, market forces, and even wildlife can influence what type of corn seed goes in the ground.

MAEGAN: A lot of growers like Ricky will choose a less expensive variety to put around the outside.

So, if the field has a history of pest damage, they'll be able to anticipate that.

JOANNE: Most of the time, deer eat from the outside of the field inward.

So, it makes more sense to save the expensive seed for the inside rows.

Once the seeds have been planted, it's a waiting game.

With help from the occasional doses of fertilizer and herbicide, the corn grows into a sea of lush green stalks.

By early fall, the vibrant green begins to fade as the corn dries down.

The crop looks promising, but only time will tell if their hard work paid off.

MAEGAN: In a perfect world, we like to see high yield numbers across the entire field.

Obviously, the deer damage is going to influence that.

Weather conditions, pollination, all those things are going to influence how consistent that yield is across the field.

JOANNE: Of course, knowing when to harvest, makes a big difference too.

MAEGAN: You'll notice these dents that form in the top of the kernel.

And that's a sign that the ear is drying down, the grains drying down, and it's being prepared for harvest.

JOANNE: In addition to how it looks, the corn's moisture levels have to be taken into account also.

MAEGAN: Ideally, you're going to be 17 to 19 percent on your moisture in order to harvest.

JOANNE: Come November, the corn is dry and Ricky has the combine ready to go.

Behind the wheel, he carefully maneuvers the machine through the rows, all while keeping an eye on the numbers, particularly the crop's water content.

RICKY: This tells us instantly on-the-go where our moisture is.

So, it saves us the effort of having to go do it manually.

And we know what to do with the corn as soon as it's coming out of the combine.

JOANNE: If it's too wet, the grain could spoil in storage.

But he can't leave it in the field too long, as the deer have already started a harvest of their own.

MAEGAN: You'll look at the stalk here, and you'll notice there's not an ear.

And some other areas of the field, you may might see where there was an ear, but it's partially been devoured before we were able to harvest the crop.

JOANNE: Despite the deer damage, Ricky is satisfied with the harvest so far.

As he works toward the center of the field, the bushels-per-acre reading on his monitor begins to climb.

RICKY: We're not done yet, but as you've seen, it's increased from, what, 110 bushel when we started, to...think the average is 170.

JOANNE: As the day goes on, Ricky's uncle takes truckload after truckload of corn, up to the barn, where it's unloaded into bins.

Here, propane heaters will continue to dry the grain until it's ready for its final destination.

RICKY: Most of our tilled corn tends to go up into Pennsylvania for livestock feed.

JOANNE: By the end of the harvest, the average bushels per acre had risen to 192, proving all Ricky and Megan's hard work did pay off.

And as Ricky wraps up his day in the field, he knows this is just one of many more combine rides to come, but for now he can take a... RICKY: Sigh of relief.

It's done, it's in the bin, and then you can start thinking about what you've got to do for next year, basically.

* JOANNE: All right, it's time to test your agricultural expertise.

Here is our thingamajig for the week.

You think, you know what it is?

Well, here's a hint.

It's a toy version of a real farm machine.

Stay tuned, and we'll have the answer at the end of the show.

There's something majestic about seeing a big old combine lumber through the fields, pulling in bunches of corn, wheat, or soybeans.

We asked farmers to take a quick break from their harvest to send some combine photos to our Facebook page.

And these were some of our favorites.

* JOANNE: Back on a blazing hot summer day, we visited a Carroll County farm to learn how seedless watermelons are planted.

Now, after weeks of waiting and working, it's time to taste some sweet success.

* CARVILLE MACE: And there you go.

I mean, that's perfect.

Just what we're looking for.

JOANNE: It's not quite lunchtime yet, but Carville Mace doesn't need an excuse to sink his teeth into his very own watermelons.

CARVILLE: I don't think you could get much more of a better watermelon than that.

It's got that sweet sugar flavor.

The texture is just, it's crisp, but it's not too firm, but it's not grainy or sandy.

It's got a lot of... Nice and juicy.

I mean, like I said, that's just...I mean, that's what a watermelon is supposed to taste like.

JOANNE: As he surveys the field, he'll sample close to two dozen of them to determine if they're ready for picking.

CARVILLE: If I can hit 18 out of 20 watermelons, that's 90%.

So that means, 90 percent of the watermelons are going to be good.

So as we go through the field, if I keep hitting watermelons like that, that means...I can safely say...you know, these are worthy to pick for our customers.

JOANNE: But taste isn't the only sense he uses.

[tapping the watermelon] CARVILLE: What the tapping does, when you bang on the watermelon, you want it to sound like a hollow ring.

And what that'll tell you is that the watermelon, it's either under ripe or it's ripe, ready to pick.

JOANNE: But if the watermelon is over ripe... CARVILLE: That's got that thud, like a flat tire.

So that watermelon automatically, just don't even trust it.

So once they turn over ripe, then you just have to leave them in the field, because they're no good.

JOANNE: A few months back on a hot morning in June, we watched Carville, his dad Chip, and farmhand Caesar, plant baby melons.

CARVILLE: It's a very satisfying crop.

You start with such a small little delicate plant.

JOANNE: And those three-inch seedlings have come a long way.

Each one will produce four to five watermelons.

CARVILLE: You see that little fruit that starts out the size of a marble, and then just watching it just size up.

JOANNE: Now, in September, Carville has returned to cash in on his juicy summer investment.

But this time around, he doesn't have the luxury of sitting while he works.

Harvesting requires him to be quick on his feet as he sorts the watermelons to size.

CARVILLE: As they're coming in, I'm looking at every one.

Because like I said, they're all different sizes.

So you got to make a split second decision on whether it's a small, medium, or a large.

JOANNE: This makes it easier for customers at the market.

Not everyone is looking for a record breaking melon.

CARVILLE: If people are going to buy a watermelon, they have to be able to carry it.

Like I said, they have to be able to fit it in their refrigerator.

You don't just want to grow the biggest watermelons you can.

And you want to try to grow a consistent size.

JOANNE: Today, Carville's mom, Mary, is in charge of keeping everyone in the correct lane, ensuring the ride is straight and steady, as the crew picks the watermelons off the field and puts them onto the conveyor belt.

CARVILLE: We'll be going through the field, making sure that the wagon stays where the workers need it to be so that they can get the watermelons onto the conveyor.

We leave a row with nothing planted in it, so that's where the tractor...

The tractor will drive through that row.

So you avoid running over the watermelons.

JOANNE: When planting their 10 acres of seedless melons, Carville and his dad spread it out over several weeks, so that all the melons wouldn't get ripe at the same time.

Today, they're picking one of the last batches of the season, but not every melon will make its way to market, or even out of the field.

CARVILLE: This is the pollinator watermelon and not a seedless watermelon that we'd want to pick.

So, it has a very thin skin, you know that you can just easily... That's done on purpose for worker safety in the field.

JOANNE: While, a pollinator melon is technically edible, they're meant for breeding, not eating.

They cross-pollinate the seedless melons, creating a fruitful harvest.

CARVILLE: This year was a fairly good year for watermelons.

We got a good number of fruit off of each plant, as well as the size.

JOANNE: Carville picks about 100 bins per acre on his farm, and each bin stores up to 50 watermelons.

Today's harvest was indeed bountiful.

Soon they'll be headed to the store.

CARVILLE: At our stands, we probably get asked that question about 50 to 100 times a day is, how do you pick out a good watermelon?

JOANNE: In addition to the shape, shine, and sound of the fruit, there's one more secret to picking out the perfect one.

CARVILLE: The stem is green.

That means, it was freshly picked.

So a green stem, that's a good sign too.

JOANNE: Harvesting is one of the most important parts of farming, which means farmers are constantly finding ways to do it better.

Here's a lesson in how it's improved over the years, from then to now.

* Farmers' first harvest tools were curved knives, like sickles, starting around 12,000 years ago, and scythes, since Roman times.

But these tools were far from perfect.

With sickles, farmers could only cut stalks one handful at a time.

Scythes were faster, but crops fell haphazardly, leading to grain loss.

Help came by way of the grain cradle in the 1770s.

These wooden frames attached to the top of scythes, making for a quick but more controlled harvest.

Cradles remained the most common harvesting tool until the 1840s, when mechanical reapers came on the scene.

Many people claimed they invented the first reaper.

If you ever find yourself in the Carroll County town of Union Bridge, you might happen upon the spot where one candidate, Jacob R. Thomas, invented and tested his version in 1811.

But there's no doubt Virginia Farmer Cyrus McCormick was the one who popularized the reaper, starting in 1831.

His version cut as much grain in one day as 4-5 men with grain cradles.

In 1836, Hiram Moore built the first successful combine, which combined the jobs of harvesting and separating the grain from the chaff into one machine.

It also needed 20 horses to pull it.

Tractor-drawn models became available in the 1930s, followed in the '40s by self-propelled combines, like those used today.

Modern combines have high tech features, like GPS, auto steer, and the ability to calculate bushels per acre.

New technology needed by farmers to feed a growing population.

Both planting season and harvest time can be dangerous for farmers as they often have to drive their big equipment on public roads while traveling from field to field.

But we can all do our part to help keep the roads safe.

Joe Ligo shows us "The Way It Works."

JOE LIGO: Say, you're a cool guy driving along in your cool car, when all of a sudden this happens.

You come across a big old piece of farm equipment that's blocking the road and backing up traffic.

Now, before you lose your temper, here are a few rules of the road to remember.

First, always maintain a safe following distance.

This makes it easier for the operator to see you.

And it gives you more time to react if they suddenly stop or turn.

Next, most farmers periodically pull off on the side of the road to let traffic go by, but not every road has enough room for them to do this.

In that case, you are allowed to pass moving farm equipment, but only when it's safe to do so, and you can clearly see in front of you and the farmer.

That means no passing on hills or curves, both of which obstruct the view of oncoming traffic.

That also means no passing within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad crossing, bridge, or tunnel.

And of course, no passing in any area designated as a no passing zone.

But that one's kind of obvious.

Now, when you do go to pass, be sure to check your surroundings in case some speed demon is coming, flying up the road, trying to pass both you and the farmer at the same time, causing an accident.

And lastly, if you see a piece of farm equipment swerve to the right, don't assume it's always going to make a right turn.

Sometimes, operators have to make wide left hand turns that take up the entire width of the road.

I know this is a lot to remember.

But if you follow these rules, you'll help make the roads a safer place for both you and farmers.

Plus, you'll avoid having to take a ride in one of these cars.

And that is the way it works.

JOANNE: You might remember Al Spoler's first trip to Bella Vita Farm, where he learned about aquaponics and helped plant some of those tiny lettuce seeds.

Well, for the local buy this week, he returns to lend a hand with the harvest.

Al?

* AL SPOLER: We're back at Bella Vita Farm in Montgomery County, where a few weeks ago, we planted a whole bunch of these little lettuce seeds.

Well, they've all grown up, and they're ready to harvest.

So, let's get cracking.

AMY FALCONE: We harvest almost daily because we are unique.

And if you order today at 10:00 AM, I'm going to harvest at 10:30.

AL: It doesn't get any fresher than that.

Here at Bella Vita Farm in Brookeville, Amy Falcone takes pride in providing her customers with pristine greens.

And that requires a speedy harvest.

AMY: When you get it, it's literally had two to four hands touching it, and it goes into the refrigerator immediately, and you have it within hours.

It's not picked days ago.

It's picked hours ago.

AL: The crispy lettuce heads flourish in this controlled greenhouse environment, thanks in part to these busy swimmers.

In this aquaponics system, the fish waste is converted into a natural fertilizer and the plants help filter the water.

The result, fresh lettuce and fish all year long.

AMY: Since, we are a 365-day operation, we certainly can crank out a lot more lettuce than we would, if we were conventional.

AL: From seed to harvest, these greens can take anywhere between 21 to 65 days to grow, depending on the variety and season.

AMY: We have the capacity to produce 1,000 heads of lettuce a week, and harvest 1,000 heads a week.

We plant over a 1,000 seeds a week.

AL: A few weeks ago, I helped sew these seeds with some guidance from the master.

It feels good knowing that I played a small, in this case, very small role, in growing this crop.

The tedious job of planting one seed at a time pays off weeks later, as the lettuce begins to mature.

AMY: You have the kindergartners and then the middle schoolers, and now we're graduating high school.

And it just feels good to watch this whole process become a sea of green, and we can have the sea of green all winter long.

AL: Now, let's see what it takes to harvest these hearty heads of lettuce.

AMY: What you do is you carefully, pull it from the bottom.

Okay.

Now, you don't want this to touch any of the leaves.

AL: Okay.

AMY: And you look for brown leaves, and then you just pull that off.

Then, you take the root, and you wrap it around itself.

AL: Around the plug here.

AMY: Around the plug.

AL: Finally, the bunch of leaves is ready to be tucked away.

AMY: And then, this will hold the plug.

So, you then fold this up, over top of the plug.

So, I have this name.

I kind of got dubbed the lettuce lady, and I kind of took that on social media.

AL: A well-earned nickname that Amy doesn't seem to mind.

After spending all morning long, harvesting these beautiful greens, I've really worked up quite an appetite.

I can't wait to see what they've got for me.

I bet it's really healthy and tasty.

* Amy, thank you so much for this beautiful spread.

What a luncheon.

And I understand that you didn't have to leave the farm for this.

AMY: Absolutely not.

Never even left the farm.

No shopping was necessary.

Everything that you see was grown here, including the eggs.

We have about 300 chickens out back.

AL: It's really beautiful.

Now, tell me about this great salad.

AMY: So in this salad, we have a mixture of a lot of the different heads that we grow.

There's Oak leaf lettuces, red and green, and there's some muir lettuce, and there's some green butter.

AL: Now, here's something that caught my eye.

It's a lettuce wrap, I guess.

AMY: It is.

AL: And you just fold it up like this.

What goes into it?

AMY: So, what goes into this is our fresh eggs, of course.

We have a little bit of chive, some microgreens and some parsley, and some turmeric, just for some health, and wellness.

We like to throw that in every little bite.

AL: And it helps the color too.

AMY: It does.

AL: Oh, it's just great.

What we would like to do is put the recipe on our website at mpt.org/farm.

So you can try it at home.

For the local buy, I'm Al Spoler.

Joanne?

JOANNE: Thanks, Al.

Be sure to check out mpt.org/farm for all our local buy recipes, and you can watch full episodes there as well.

Also, don't forget to follow us on social media for show updates, pictures, and videos.

Now, hold on.

We're not done yet.

Remember our thingamajig?

Did you guess it?

Our hint was that it's a toy version of a real farm machine.

This is a toy corn picker.

The big version is towed behind a tractor, and it pops the ears off, and dumps them into a wagon.

Today, most farmers use combines to harvest corn because they're bigger and faster.

Congratulations, if you got it right.

Join us next week for another thingamajig, along with more stories about the diverse, passionate people who feed our state.

I'm Joanne Clendining.

Thanks for watching.

Closed Captioning has been made possible by Maryland Relay, empowering those with hearing and speech loss to stay connected.

* ANNOUNCER: Major funding for Maryland Farm and Harvest is made possible in part by...

The Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board: Investing in smarter farming to support safe and affordable food, feed, and fuel, and a healthy Bay.

Additional funding provided by... Maryland's Best: Good for You, Good for Maryland.

Rural Maryland Council, a collective voice for rural Maryland.

MARBIDCO: Helping to sustain food and fiber enterprise for future generations... A grant from the Maryland Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Program... Mid-Atlantic Farm Credit: Lending Support to Agriculture and Rural America... Brought to you in part by a donation, from the Cornell Douglas Foundation.

The Maryland Soybean Board and Soybean Checkoff Program: Progress Powered by Farmers... Wegmans Food Market: Healthier, better lives through food...

The Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts and by the Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association...

The Maryland Seafood Marketing Fund...

The Maryland Farm Bureau Incorporated...

The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment... And by... *