Farm Wife Reality - I Married a Risk Taker

One of the biggest risks I ever took was marrying a farmer.  I was oblivious to this reality on our wedding day in 2003, even though we had dated the year before. I didn't really understand or know the realm of things in farm life.  

This photo truly shows the happiness we both felt that day.

Perhaps it took that long for me to realize it because the first part of our marriage he worked full time in construction, farming was the second job.  Even when those roles switched, I still didn't realize the depth.  I believe it was because I worked full time outside the home. The "safety net" so to speak.  

We don't always have smiles on our faces together
but they are present more now than ever!

I grew up in a farming family until I was 11, I honestly didn't know what the reality of farm management was.  Then I lived as a "city folk" for the rest of my life until 5 years ago.  That's when we actually moved to the farm.

Honestly, we should have moved long before that time.  I believe the reality of living "on the farm" and being more involved in the farming operation has brought about a better understanding for me. A better marriage as well.

When we moved to the farm, I grieved the life I had and even the house we had in town. I recall sitting with my spouse looking out at the same field I am right now. It was during the building of our farm house.  Together we sat where our fireplace is now, without any walls built.  I remember having a mixture of sadness and fear about leaving behind the life I had come to know for so long. Fast forward to the present. 

My life is better for being where I am, more meaningful, and yes more difficult at times. With my change of occupation from working outside the home to stay at home it has brought a time of transition.  It has been almost a year now.  In that time I have participated in the farming operation in different ways. The farm books, paying the farm expenses, watching how many bushels of grain we have, organizing information for insurance and government offices, not to mention tax stuff.  Including some physical labor too!

Working together on the farm

Due to my more active involvement, as wheat harvest arrived a few weeks ago the need for a good wheat harvest came into my view clearly. This year I found myself more committed, interested, and involved than ever before.  I've been a partner in this farm operation for 12 years, but I don't think I ever understood most of it. It's starting to really click now!

I married a risk-taker. A man of risk.  Those of you that know my husband may be laughing right now, but I'm right.  Farming is a huge risk. 

one of my favorite photos of him

It's no wonder he loves it, he has to, because if anyone didn't, no one would last long in farming. I feel any man or woman that can depend on the seed, dirt, fertilizer, chemicals, hard work, and mostly the weather is a risk-taker.  Which means if I married him I must be one too! I can now add that to my resume, right? 

Milton waited a long time to get to this point in his career, he deserves every good crop produced, every sunset he sees from the tractor, and the opportunities he has been given. There will be successes and failures in this farm life, but he knows this.  He is OK with that, and knows the following.

We are sustained, not by the work of our own hands but the abilities that have been given to us. We are not able to stand firm in our moments of risk without the abilities that have been created in us.  The farm would not function if not for God.   I think many need to remember this, the farmer is just the steward of the land.

Thanks for stopping by.
Julie

Wheat Harvest 2015 - Recap

Milton drove the Case IH 6088 combine, RV took care of hauling wheat via the semi and grain truck, while LV weighed the trucks as they came home to store the grain. Julie helped some with weighing and scale tickets and cooked one meal for everyone each day.  PV, well we will call her the supervisor that played a lot!

Once the grain bins were full at home, the grain began being hauled to the elevator in Canton and the new Ag Producers LLC terminal on Hiway 56.  Hauling to the terminal was a new experience for all, but turned out to be a good choice in our eyes. Depending on the priced being offered in the future, we will see if it is more profitable to haul there verses ADM that is located 40 miles away.

While harvesting Milton did deal with mud in the fields from the rains that blessed our area days and weeks before harvest.  I do not believe ours were as bad as others or at least my farmer didn't complain much about that.

The yields varied anywhere from 43 to 86. Our average was 62.  We harvested 881 acres of wheat.  Being able to apply the fungicide was a critical component to having a good harvest we believe, along with the rainfall that came in May and June.

The harvest lasted 9 days.  Milton and RV worked the longest hours, normally cutting by 10:00 am and not stopping until 10 or 11 at night.  Milton’s brother VV helped us by planting soybeans and milo.  At one point, Milton did give him the opportunity to drive the combine.  My farmer was pretty protective of our investment. I can understand why as this investment was something that is essential in our farming operation and costs a great deal of money.  We are grateful for the help that his brother offered.

I did do some new things during this wheat harvest.  I drove an empty truck from one field to another, drove a loaded truck to practice, and went to get fertilizer with a trailer.  Baby steps is how I'm going about this farm wife journey and it works well for me. :)

Now the days are less stressful as the new crops are planted and beginning to show growth.  

This wraps it up for our wheat harvest and we are focusing on the new crops.  Time to get things caught up as in paperwork, housework, and spending time together as a family.

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie

Wheat Harvest 2015 - Kansas Style - 8 & 9

This day began for Milton at 5:30 am. He unloaded the semi from the last cut of wheat from the night before.  This will be used as "seed wheat" for next wheat crop.  

I made my way over about 6:30 am and we unloaded the soybeans I had picked the day before off the pickup and trailer.  Then they were loaded into the grain drill so it is ready when needed. 

Corn is going back into a field we harvested yesterday of wheat.  Milton went out to see if it was  too damp to start planting.  It was so he headed to a soybean field to replant some that the grasshoppers enjoyed!  

Wheat harvest started back up around 11:00 am and the field we are currently cutting has produced some really good wheat for us.  Milton's brother V. came to drive combine so he could go plant corn.  RV (Milton's dad) is the truck driver and hauls the grain.  

PV & I made a quick trip to Elderslie Farms where I get my blackberries for jam making this morning. I will need to get that done in the next couple days!   

 Day 9 was our last day in the field.  We didn't start until about 2:00 pm.  We spent our morning as a family worshiping our Lord and had a great potluck afterwards!  We did finish the wheat harvest (minus a couple muddy spots) about 9:30 pm.  

We are including a video of Milton running the combine on our last field. 

Stats
Fields harvested: YH28, DO32, Silo17

I will do a wrap up post when I have more time.  Now I need to focus on getting life back in order and help the farmer as much as I can in the planting season!  Thanks for following our #wheatharvest15!

Julie & Milton

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Wheat Harvest 2015 - Kansas Style - 6 & 7

June 25-26, 2015 Thursday & Friday

Day 6

Harvesting Wheat under pivot

Taken through my car window... no filter

What Kansas is known for. WHEAT!  

Day 6 ended like this.  

Day 7

My husband normally helps me in my #pfwg44thbirthday challenge but the timing didn't work this time.  So my day started out by donating blood alone at a closer location than we normally use.  It went rather quickly and it helped save 3 lives. I was in and out in less than one hour, no kidding! Please consider helping others by donating blood, they are especially short in supply during the summer. 

When I returned home Milton asked me to come with him to haul the Chevy grain truck that was loaded with wheat to the new grain terminal. It had rained and he couldn't cut yet.  This way I could practice driving with it loaded.  I don't feel I did even ok, let's just leave it at that. It was interesting to go to the grain terminal where they load railroad cars with wheat.  I will write a post on that later but here are a couple pictures of the location!

I'm working on becoming more a farm wife verses farmer's wife and I got a little closer today. I headed to get soybean seed a few miles away from our farm on my own.  This may not be a big deal to others but to me it was.  I headed home with a heavy load!

Milton finished one field he had started cutting yesterday.  Then headed to try another one. The wheat looks really good on it but the straw still had green in it.  So he was off to another field!

  












He finished the field with some extra passengers.  We love to give combine rides!  The young man was 4 years old and we love him to pieces!  After K rode in the combine we moved to a new field and he was my sidekick in the grain truck.  It's was so cool to see him so excited about all things farming!

One of my favs. PV & K waiting for the combine.

Combine rides & beautiful skies.  Kansas is good!

PV & I were able to finally spend some time in the combine with Milton.  These two make my life so much fuller, I'm grateful she has the opportunity to be raised by such a good father. Even the smallest moments matter folks! Treasure them while you can!

The post today really showed you what happened between our sunsets from day 6 to day 7.  We will close on sharing the view from the combine cab.  Both nights were pretty spectacular!

Day six & seven stats:

Fields harvested: Far16house, RV16, Nut8, RV17
Truckloads of wheat hauled: 14 plus
Number of acres harvest:124 plus

Harvest food included: Huntington chicken, corn, bread, and fresh fruit

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Wheat Harvest 2015 - Kansas Style - 5

June 24, 2015           Day 5

This is when the days get really long for Milton.  He wakes early to plant the next crop to go into a field. He started this morning planting grain sorghum (milo) into a field that had been sprayed a few days ago for all that yellow/green you see in the field.  The rain kept them from spraying as early as desired but it will all work out in the end.  It's just not so pretty right now! Come fall, the sorghum will be beautiful!

Our planter isn't large but it gets the job done! 

The ladies of the farm helped out by heading to get fertilizer for the planter.  This was the first time I ever did something like this.  :) Just me and my sidekick! Baby steps to becoming a farm wife from a farmer's wife! I made a second trip late in the day by myself, my sidekick decided it would be funner to hang with her cousin at the farm.

Milton's brother came and helped out by continuing to plant the field that had been started. RV drove trucks and LV weighed them as they came in. Our bins are all full but one now so the trucks will be hauling to the grain elevator now.  Takes longer as there are usually long lines but like I said before, it all works out in the end!

Milton was able to harvest a field that we lease and then headed to a new one later in the evening.  The combine is working out quite well and we are very happy with it.  

Day five stats:

Fields harvested: Far16pond, RV16, Far16house
Started cutting at 10:00 am
4 truck loads delivered to our bins at home
8 truck loads to grain elevator
7100 bushels approximately harvested 
Stopped cutting for day 11:00pm

Harvest meal was roast, two salads, and a blueberry puff with cream cheese.

That's a wrap for Day 5 of wheat harvest!

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Wheat Harvest 2015 - Kansas Style - 4

June 23, 2015 Tuesday

Milton unloaded the truck from the last cut from the night before, did some maintenance type stuff, and took his tractor and planter to a field.  He wanted to get it setup so it was ready to go tomorrow.  Milton will rise very early and begin grain sorghum planting in a field that he just harvested wheat off of.   

EH28 Wheat being harvested 2015

The photographer was too busy to get many pictures today.  They traveled to several fields and harvest is going well.  PV and I traveled to her softball game with other family members. 

When we turned down the road we live on about 10:00 pm Milton was cutting in the field. There's something about seeing a combine with it's lights on that makes you stop and think. Way past sunset still going.

Day four stats:
Fields harvested: EH28, DO28C, FAR16Hi 
Started cutting at 10:00 am
134 Acres approximately harvested
11 truck loads delivered to our bins at home
6390 bushels approximately harvested 
Stopped cutting for day 11:00 pm

Harvest meals: Lunch was homemade breakfast burritos with other easy to eat items. Taken to the field and left for the farmer!  Supper was Tator tot casserole and green beans. 

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