Tag Archives: corn harvest

D-U-N, Done

22 Nov

D-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziWe finished up our corn harvest on Oct. 31. I proceeded to celebrate by going quilting. Tyler kept working at other projects. See how I am.

D-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziOverall, our harvest was successful. Good yields, few breakdowns and relatively good spirits throughout. Praise God for all the bounty and for allowing us to farm for a living!

D-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziD-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziD-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziWhen my Farmer Husband took the last pass in the combine and unloaded the last dump onto my grain cart, I literally did a happy dance in my seat. I love harvest, but once all the crop was out, I felt a huge sense of relief. No more worrying about corn blowing down or early snow making it hard to get in the field.

The very last pass of T&L Farms 2014 corn harvest.

The very last pass of T&L Farms 2014 corn harvest.

The very last dump from the combine into the grain cart for corn harvest 2014.

The very last dump from the combine into the grain cart for corn harvest 2014.

We filled our grain bins up, so my Farmer Husband and Damon (our cousin and farm-team member), used some of the barley straw bales to create a temporary bunk for the rest of the corn. Part of the winter will be spent marketing the crop and delivering it to buyers.

D-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziNow that we’re done with harvest, my Farmer Husband will plan and prepare for next year. This includes wrapping up 2014 office work, settling up with landlords, purchasing seed and other inputs for the operation, maintaining equipment and fall/winter field work. My father-in-law also custom feeds cattle through the winter, so Tyler helps with that operation as needed.

"Playing with Diamonds." The quilt I started right after harvest during the 2014 Wheatwater Quilting Retreat.

“Playing with Diamonds.” The quilt I started right after harvest during the 2014 Wheatwater Quilting Retreat.

As for me, I think I’ll just put my feet up for a few months. That is, after all the housework is done, all my public relations projects are wrapped up, I check off the long list of tasks I put off during the busy farming season, I don’t have any more volunteer projects left and I paint the house and replace the baseboards. Then I’ll just lay around, eat chocolate bon-bons and watch HGTV and the Food Network.

D-U-N, Done | The Farm PaparazziWe hope your harvest was successful and you’re able to take time to spend with family and friends during the holiday season.

God Bless You & American Agriculture,

Liz

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. – Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)

Red and Black

18 Oct

As we combined a field of corn yesterday, our dog, Clay, a.k.a. Red, was sniffing out all the best smells on the end of the field. I brought load after load of corn to dump on the trucks and Clay continued to sniff. During one cart run, I noticed a black cat on the end of the field. “I wonder if he’ll find her,” I thought.

Red and Black | The Farm PaparazziDuring one particular run, after I’d finished unloading corn onto the red truck and started back to the field, I looked down and saw Clay going crazy. He was barking and shaking uncontrollably and at first I was worried he was hurt. One of my worst fears is to run him over with my tractor and grain cart’s massive tires. So, I jumped out of the tractor to inspect the situation.

Red and Black | The Farm PaparazziNo injuries, just a Red dog cornering a Black cat. As I leaned in to see if there were any escape routes, she spazzed out, sputtering and hissing with all four legs flying. Both Clay and I jumped two feet in the air. I carefully leaned in again and could see Black was safely in the undercarriage of the truck and Clay would have to try some serious maneuvers to make it to where she was. Not that I’d be opposed to him catching her. It’s nature at work, after all.

Red and Black | The Farm Paparazzi

Red and Black | The Farm PaparazziSo I returned to my job as grain cart operator extraordinaire. On another trip back, I noticed Clay running after new smells and thought Black must have escaped. Part of me was glad. Less bloodshed for the day.

Red and Black | The Farm PaparazziLater that night, when Farmer Husband came home, he told me he had a hidden companion on the ride back to the yard. He’d taken the red truck to be dumped at the end of the day and when he parked, off ran the Black cat. She had stealthily ridden the two miles in the truck’s undercarriage to her freedom in a new land.

Victory was hers and Clay was left to fight another day.

Red and Black | The Farm Paparazzi

What adventures have your animals been up to lately?

God Bless You and American Agriculture,

Liz

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

Corn Harvest 2014 – The Beginning

10 Oct

Corn harvest has begun.

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Luckily Clay is at the helm.

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Happy Harvest to you all!

God Bless You & American Agriculture,
Liz

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:8

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