Yesterday for my Women in Agriculture column I wrote about taking time to appreciate the beauty in the most simple of places… To take the time to stop and soak it all in.
This weekend I did just that… We celebrating my nephew’s first birthday on the farm. Family, delicious food, and many laughs as three children under the age of 3 ran around.
After the festivities wrapped up, we headed out to do one of my favorite things ever. We checked crops. I’ve written before why when the crops are growing we drive around 2-3 times a week to check them.
North Dakota is in it’s prime right now. The grass is green, the crops are growing, the sun shines, the skies are blue, and if you are lucky sometimes the clouds come out and show you what makes North Dakota legendary.
Windows down, hair blowing in the wind, sun on my face. Sitting next to the one I love, camera in my hand. This year I can finally recognize what fields are ours and know the route we normally take to check all the fields.
By the farm first, down the gravel road from the farm, turn around and head South, and finally we head East. Past my favorite old house, turn into the field, down the section line, and then by my second favorite old house. He stops so I can take a photo, right in the perfect spot.
Periodically, he puts the pickup in park. We walk out into the field. We dig up parts of the plants to check roots, we check the leaves for insects or damage, and we look for weeds growing in the field. He talks to me, he shows me what he’s looking at, I listen, I learn.
I soak it all in.
Eventually the sun begins to sink lower and lower into the sky. And that signals it’s time to head for home. As we head East, we watch the sun set slowly in the sky behind us. In the rear view.
I look over at him and smile. He smiles back. My heart feels like it’s about to overflow.
“This is the life” I think to myself. And what a blessed one it is.
Anyone else feel like that when they check crops?
Get out this weekend and just soak it all in. Every minute.
Don’t let the stress of tomorrow or the worries of yesterday cloud your mind. Enjoy today.
I love that you posted about this. I too love checking crops whether it is because I am needing to make sure our pivots are running or riding around with my husband while he is checking them…since he does it all day every day as a crop adviser. I’ve taken some of my best photographs while doing this. <3 <3 <3 !!! Great photos per usual!
Great blog post! I too love checking crops. I miss it now that I’m living in the city.
I love farming! My grandpa was & my dad and husband are farmers. I live in NC and realize more and more each day what a blessing it is and I wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s all I know. As a little girl I remembered checking crops with my dad, riding to the fields with my grandma to take lunch or just to ride along in the combine. Some people have a hard time understanding why we love it when it’s a non stop, we can’t make plans and there is never a set schedule in our life but I feel so privileged and love my life and Gods beauty I see in it everyday. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
Beautiful photos. LOVE the house shot and the open road. Both my faves. I miss living in the country something fierce. One day soon we will be back out there. Probably never live on a farm again (yes, I loved it) but an acreage for sure. 🙂 Keep on taking those pics. I sure enjoy looking at them!
Jenny; I loved the blog, photos but do not know much about checking crops and would be overwhelmed to check such as you showed there. Even though I was born and raised on one during my formative years(left at age 11) I would go back to help during summer when not in School. My Dad sharecropped and we would only have the most necessary things such as Cotton, Tobacco, Corn then a small vegetable garden. It would only be about 50- 75 acres total for both families. I was the last of 10 children, 8 boys 2 girls one boy died at age 1 yr. I do not think the oldest had married when I was born. This all took place during the large depression days, so I doubt that any of your family ever experienced any such times as we had, if your grandparents are still living they may remember it faintly during the better time of when it ended. I don’t even the worst of it . It started in 1929 & ended shortly after President F. Roosevelt was elected(he was elected in 1932) and instigitated the ‘New Deal’.. I guess I can say I never went to bed hungry but I did not have the fat on me then as I have now and today most babies, children, youth and adults are obese. I would say(and don’t really know) that about 66 2/3 % are obese. I could go on & on for more but bet you are tired of reading my horror story. Anyway I would like to know how much acreage you are caring for and what are the names of all you are tending? I think I recognized corn & wheat, but not sure, any way they are all beautiful crops, that South GA. Farmers would jump for joy to have their crops look like that. Don’t get me wrong ours have improved over the years with irrigation, pesticides and fertilization. Some do not fertilize any more and don’t really know about the pesticides. Well good luck on your & hubby’s farming the remainder of the season; or does the season ever end?