We were given the opportunity to rent a new 40 acre field.
The field was full of scrub and some large trees that had
been cut down. It hadn’t been farmed other than having some landscape trees
planted there. It really was a mess.
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| Lunch break |
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| He tried to sneak this up to me. |
My Farmer has spent many hours cleaning it up. First with
bulldozer, then with tractors right down to walking the fields with the
Wigglies picking up rocks and piled in the center of the
field. The smaller sticks and branches were thrown on a wagon being pulled by
the bucket tractor. So stones up front, sticks in the back. The sticks were
burned out in the field and the pile of rocks taken back to the dump.
We had a full day with a truck making round trips picking up
the large pieces of wood and bringing it back to the dump to be burned. It's
been a back breaking job.
Today we have three semis that are hauling manure from our slurrystore out to the field where Son #4 and another one of our guys will be spreading the manure the semis transfer to the spreaders.
The ground will be worked again – disked - before we plant
corn.
Then, we wait, hope and pray the rain comes when it should,
not too much please, and that bugs and weeds stay away.
There is a lot of work done with no guarantees in farming.
The amount of money spent in this field is more than we would like. And, it
could be all gone in one downpour.
So, why do we do this? Why do thousands of others do this?
It’s hard to explain, but it’s as if we have no choice. We
are called. Our soul and spirit have land and livestock DNA built in.
The freshly plowed field and smell of dirt is intoxicating,
filled with promise. Fresh mown hay has a heavenly fragrance. New bright green
corn breaking through the soil is a miracle in itself. Sometimes I think it’s
the smell and sights like this that pump farmers full of optimism to continue.
Farming is not for everyone. Yet, everyone needs farmers. It’s
our pleasure to be part of the community that brings food to your table.
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| We found this in the hay field behind our house a few years ago. |
