What's Going On In Our Fields Right Now?

When I started this blog almost a year ago, I did some research to learn how to drive readers to the blog.  The number one thing I came across was to post consistently and frequently.  Through my research I read that posts should be done as often as you water house plants if you want to keep your readers “alive”.  Well, I apologize to you readers….if you were house plants you sure are hearty or desert loving plants because I haven’t been regularly “watering” you with posts, ha-ha!  I feel like this fall and beginning of winter has been a whirlwind and unfortunately my blog posts have been lowest on my list of priorities.

So, what’s going on in our fields right now?  Harvest is finished!  So that means that nothing is going on in the fields right now…. YAY!!!  Some fields have been plowed and will lay that way until spring field work.  Other fields are not plowed, but also lay untouched until spring.

I am so excited that harvest is done!  This year harvest seemed to drag on.  We had our fair share of rainy days which slows up harvest significantly.  Even though we had a few bumps in the road I am thankful of several things after this harvest season; here are just a few J

#1:  MOST IMPORTANTLY…. my family remained safe and healthy during harvest.  I know there are a lot of jobs that are hazardous, but according to the CDC, “Every day, about 243 agricultural workers suffer a lost-work-time injury. Five percent of these injuries result in permanent impairment.”  Not only remaining safe is a challenge, but after working such long hours, with no “weekends” as a break many times a person just runs their body down and gets sick, but everyone made through harvest unscathed, and for that I count my blessings!

#2:  The grain bin and dryer are up and operational.  The grain bin and dryer are crucial to our operation.  The construction was quite a big project and didn’t wrap up until after harvest started so that was stressful….but it is done now! J  Here are some pictures of the progression of the grain bin being built.  Over just a few days it was up, but then took quite some time before it was operational.

 

 

 

 

#3: We had bountiful yields!  We don’t have any irrigation systems on the ground we farm so you can only do so much to help the crop along throughout the year; aim for optimal planting times, apply fertilizer, control pests, etc.  But, we still rely on Mother Nature.  This year we couldn’t complain about how the plants matured and the crops yielded!

#4:  Styrofoam take out containers are easy to find!  I know this sounds a bit silly, but these handy containers make my life so much easier when trying to get meals out to the fields.  Getting hearty dinners out to everyone I feel like is essential to keep things running as smooth as possible.  The first year I took food to the fields I tried doing so in nice plastic containers I wanted back, or on paper plates, or wrapped in foil….I tried everything and nothing is as handy as these containers J

#5:  And lastly, but most motivating, is that we will be able to do what we love again next year.  We will learn from hurtles this year, and continue with practices that worked well.  I feel blessed to be doing what we love and raising our kids to work hard, reflect on the good and bad, and persevere!