Wednesday, November 1, 2017

3 Things I've Learned This Harvest

It is the first of November and this is when I always talk about Comments for a Cause.  Last month I shared about the organization Farm Rescue, which provides labor and equipment to farmers in need.  And since my life has revolved around harvesting our own corn and soybeans this last month, I've decided to continue supporting Farm Rescue again this month by donating $0.50 for every comment made in November on my blog, along with October's 43 comments.

We hopefully, knock on wood, have just a couple more weeks left of harvest and then hope to finish all of our field work by Thanksgiving.  But over the last month, I learned a few things this year:

#1 Always Take Care of Yourself

3 Things I've Learned This Harvest - Always Take Care of Yourself

You know the saying when you're on an airplane that "in the event of an emergency, please put on your oxygen mask before assisting others"?  Well, the same goes for the hustle and bustle and excitement of harvest.

A couple weeks ago I started to not feel well while out in the field doing what I love, driving tractor.  But I carried on, taking breaks whenever I was ahead of the combine.  Well, I ended up pushing myself too much and ended up needing to get help from my doctor because my body couldn't catch up.  Rather than being out for just a couple days for the flu, I ended up being out of the field for a week.

Sometimes being a Mom I feel like I can, or that I should, be doing everything, and as a Farmer, there is a crunch time during harvest where I don't want to slow down.  Well, I learned the hard way that I can't do it all, and this is the first big take away I'll remember from this harvest.

#2 Instagram Stories Are So Much Fun!


So I never got into Snapchat because I never really understood it.  But this fall I have fallen in love with Instagram Stories.  Between sharing little videos, or fun photos with the kids, or happenings out in the field, I've really enjoyed making my own stories and checking out other people's stories.  Instagram Stories have been great to engage with my followers and I love the authenticity of the Stories feature.  If you don't follow me on Instagram yet be sure to follow me and check out my Stories (like the one from earlier today posted above).  You can find me at plaggeval.

#3 The Tractor is the Best Place to be in the Fall

3 Things I've Learned This Harvest

Simply put, there is no place I'd rather spend my days in the fall, then behind the wheel of a tractor, helping bring in our corn and soybean harvest.  Driving a tractor has been something I just simply have loved since I first learned when I was 10 years old.  Maybe it is the cool factor of driving a big piece of equipment, or the inclusion aspect of being a part of my family's harvest crew, or the excitement of bringing in the "fruits of labor" from the past year.  Whatever the reason, out in the field is my favorite place to be.  I've had a great time over the last month helping with the harvest and look forward to our last couple of weeks.

What questions do you have about my family's corn and soybean harvest?  Remember to Comment for a Cause and help out Farm Rescue, who is helping farmers in need harvest during this time of year.