The day was sometime in March when I asked our son, then 4 years old, what he liked about the farm. His mind gravitated to fall, telling me he loves when corn “falls down,” riding in the tractor and eating in the field. Without naming the season, his response designated corn and soybean harvest as his favorite time on the farm, when corn appears to “fall down” from his seat in the cab of a harvesting combine with Grandpa.
My son delighted in tractor time with Great-Grandpa, who operated the grain cart and kept a lunchbox stocked with grandkid bait (namely, red licorice). Like the entire harvest crew, he looked forward to a hot, home-cooked meal from the minivan hatchback, a motivating hashmark in a long harvest day.
See more: Harvest Season Through the Eyes of a Child
Now 18, our son operates the combine and tractor independently and maintains an FFA record book with journaled experiences of fall nights and weekends working the harvest. He carries his own stocked lunchbox in the cab but gladly meets Grandma fieldside for a hot evening meal. In essays for college scholarships, he mentioned the values learned working harvest with four generations in the field simultaneously and referenced the team effort of harvest, including a memorable all-nighter ahead of a big rain event.
I’m equally partial to harvest, particularly when all goes well – no mud, no downed corn, soybeans at perfect moisture, safe practices, minimal breakdowns, and classic fall temperatures that allow efficiency and undistracted enjoyment of the team atmosphere and tradition this season brings.
Refreshingly, harvest narrows our focus, social calendars fall silent, and the aesthetics fuel exhausted souls with wildlife sightings, amazing sunsets and bright harvest moons. The crew’s camaraderie sustains the hours, and the connection to the land feels ever-present as we operate large, capable machines doing important work.
See more: Harvest Season Terminology
In the moments of this season, our son developed a hands-on fascination with the operation, repair and maintenance of the machines responsible for the harvest. This fall, he began college studies in agricultural diesel power technology.
Harvest is here. Be safe, whether you sit behind the steering wheel of a tractor or drive the car trailing one. Take in the scenes and experiences that satisfy the soul. And may all have a happy, healthy harvest to celebrate at Thanksgiving dinner.
About the Author: Joanie Stiers farms with her brother and parents in west-central Illinois, where they grow corn, soybeans and hay, raise beef cattle and farm kids, and operate side businesses related to the family operation.
