May 7, 2020
Day 13: The Farm Life
Some say that farmers can be real gamblers. I say they have to have a lot of faith and trust.
It’s spring time in NW Ohio. The saying here is, “ stick around the weather is bound to change.” Boy does it. One never knows if its going to rain, be overcast and cloudy, snowing or sunny and nice. So far this spring we have been all over. Warm then cold... they are calling for it to be in the 20’s tomorrow night! We are really not wanting a repeat of last year with all the rain. If anyone knows past history of NWOhio, this area used to be called, “The Black Swamp.” There is a wide variety of soils in this region, but for much of this area there is clay, then there is clay, and then there is clay. Clay holds moisture for a long time, or it gets dried out and becomes hard like a rock. Which is not always the easiest to work with and plant, but many make their livelihood working at it.
There is a lot that goes into planting a crop. First its wise to have machinery ready for planting. Ready meaning greasing areas that require grease, replace warn or broken parts. Making sure all is ready is like looking over everything with a fine tooth comb. Some farmers spend their winter months, doing most of those repairs and do finishing touches heading into spring planting with occasional breakdowns. Farmers usually have the seed they plan on using already ordered. If you happen to be a farmer that does your own spraying there are all kinds of chemicals, fertilizers, spray tips, oil, grease and diesel fuel purchases necessary for running equipment.
Observing my husband doing some virtual tests for spraying to get his license for this year, I was amazed of what all a person needs to take into account when spraying. You need to know what crop your neighbor is planting, wind directions, temperature, concern of possible of drift if crops happen to be up. Not to mention all the records he has to keep for every field he sprays. It’s no wonder when I’m sitting at the table in the morning and my husband is debating on if he will spray, plant or wait depending on the weather. He prays and trusts the Lord will guide him accordingly.
So far we have a few acres of beans in the ground and some spraying done. I learn not to get concerned when just because the neighbors are going and my husband isn’t, its normally for a reason. Hopefully better conditions are coming. Is everything perfect? No, far from it. Farming like most things in life are an opportunity to grow like our crops. Farmers know also that not every year is the same. The conditions are always different. Always a lesson in trusting.