Harvest '14

With a farmer for a father and an agronomist for a husband, there's no way that agriculture isn't going to be a part of my life. And for that I'm grateful! Farming is not only a way to provide a living, it is a way of life. I wouldn't have wanted to grow up any other way. I have an appreciation for the hard manual work and long hours a farmer puts in to provide for his family. I'm not what you would call a complete "farm girl" ... You're probably more likely to find me in the mall than in the cattle yard ... But that does not mean I do not have a profound respect for every aspect of it. Because I do! I'm very proud of my dad and everything he has accomplished as a farmer. It has been many years since I rode along at harvest time with Dad so I made it a priority to make it back this year to take it in. The weekend ended up working out perfectly... Uncle Jim was busy so Ryan came back and combined Dad's fields in Jim's absence. Dad did his usual duty of hauling the corn with the tractor to the bins for storage. I rode along with both of them and got to see what they did in each role. I wasn't hands on myself but I did bring my camera to get some shots of them in action. It was great being able to talk about corn hybrids, machinery and harvest, in general, with them. Most of all, it was a great opportunity for me to spend quality time with my two favorite guys ... while doing what they do best!

Here's some snapshots from the day. I'm glad Dad and Jim are in the homestretch of the harvest season. Now, as Ryan would say, it's time for them to get their Pioneer seed order in for the 2015 growing season! Hehehe!