Ready or not here it is, planting season 2018! Every planting or
harvest season I try to prepare myself for what I know is going to be an
eventful, yet sometimes stressful couple of months. I pin (on Pinterest) every
easy casserole I can find, (try to) stay on top of the laundry, have my husband
help me with every project that I know I can't do on my own and of course cram
as much family activities as I can. The thing is no matter how hard I try to
stay positive and mentally prepare myself for all of the late nights, I always
end up failing. I absolutely love living on our farm, but at certain times of
the year you may hear me say otherwise. This is not a hobby for my family, this
an income that we live on. As I'm sure you can guess, things always seem to
break... on day one typically LOL. Then it always seems to have a domino
effect, more things quit working. Every time I think Ross and I both question
if farming is something we should continue to do. Don't worry though, by the
end of the season we are so happy and thankful for the opportunity God has
given us. Its during the process of planting or harvesting that is so stressful
at times you just want to quit. It is not always bad, we have definitely had
some smooth running seasons but they are rare.
My job is not out in the field, thank goodness, I don't know what
I'm doing out there! I can't run a lawn mower without running it into something
so I am definitely not going to get behind a tractor, at least not without
help. Instead, my job is at home. Its basically all of my everyday jobs but I
don't have help in the evenings. I also try to help Ross out with any of the
extra stuff like rides, meals, paperwork, etc. For anyone who is foreign to
farming (like I used to be), everyday can be different. You may have plans to
spray that day and you wake up and the wind is crazy so you have to skip that
and do something else. Doesn't seem like a big deal but trust me, it can flip
your whole schedule and make you rethink everything. Forget trying to make
plans ahead of time during the spring and fall. I have learned this the hard
way. I am the type of person that likes to have a plan and stick with it. I am
still trying to adapt to the idea of things changing at a whim. A lot of times
we will be asked to do something with friends or family ahead of time and our
answer is always, we will see what the weather does. Thankfully, they
understand and don't give us too much of a hard time. Although being a farmer's
wife is still new to me, the lifestyle is not. My family owns a landscape
business so I was used to my dad and brothers working late when the weather was
good or in the winter working whenever it would snow. My mom was always patient
and very level-headed about it all and I really look up to her for that. She
has shown me how to accept that you may be alone a lot during certain seasons
but the reward when all the hard work is done outweighs the bad. No matter how
busy my family got with work we would always make time for each other and still
do.
My husband is very flexible and dependable. These are some of the
reasons why I respect my him so much. He comes in from a long day of work and
is always looking to help with anything I need. If I have something come up
that is really important to me he makes the time even if he is slammed with
work and the farm. He has more patience than anyone else I know, which is one
of the many reasons why he is such an amazing father to Hadley. She has been
showing signs of how much she misses him this planting season. Every so often
she will wonder around the house calling out dada, dada? Or when she sees a
truck come up the driveway she usually thinks its him and will run straight
towards it! When it actually is Ross it’s the sweetest thing to watch him get
out of the truck and see Hadley racing to his arms. These are the things that I
try to remember and hold onto when I start to get stressed out about the late and
lonely nights. Being lonely is one of the hardest parts of farming for me. Now
that I have Hadley that has helped a lot but until she’s able to carry on an
adult conversation I will still feel that sense of loneliness. This year we bought
some animals as you have probably seen in my previous posts. Having these guys
around has really helped lift my spirits as well. I also have a couple of great
friends that have come to visit and help me out with anything I need.
Believe me when I say, the pros of farming outweigh the cons. To
see Ross get so excited when his beans begin to pop out of the field is
priceless. Or in the fall when he has a great harvest. I’m sure every season
will bring different challenges but as long as we work together with the Lord
guiding us we can make it through anything. So thank you to the good Lord above
for giving us this opportunity that very few have. Thank you to my husband for
working so hard to support our family. Thank you to my family and friends who
love and support us. And to those that work in acres, not in hours… THANK YOU. I
hope everyone has a safe and successful planting season, God Bless!
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