We’ve had quite a spell of beautiful weather lately. That makes it easier to harvest – there’s no mud, it’s easier to keep the roads clean, and we’ve got dry days with lots of sunshine. You couldn’t ask for a better season.
Our corn silage is done, well ahead of last year. Our soybean and wheat harvests are too, and our yields are the best we’ve ever had. At this rate, we’ll have all our harvesting wrapped up by the first of November. We’re also well ahead of schedule with hauling nutrients and adding them to the soil.
There’s a downside to no rain this time of year – we get tired. We’re working weeks straight, with no days off even on the weekends, because we know a major change in weather patterns can happen suddenly. When we do get a rainy day, everybody feels a little bit of relief because we all need a day to rest.
As a farmer, you’re always watching weather events, planning ahead and trying to predict how they’ll play out down the road. I’m no meteorologist, but I watch the weather and think about it. Just like the global economy affects our business, so does global weather. I’ve got to be thinking a few days ahead of my crew, planning for what will happen next. I’ve got to schedule my workers, and have work for people to do if it does rain. A lot of people depend of me, so I’ve got to keep all these possibilities in mind.
In the meantime, we’ll keep on harvesting the crops we’ve nurtured all summer long. And next time there’s a rainy day, we’ll take a little break.
