What October Taught Us About Farming and Life

The combines have been rolling for three weeks now, and as I write this, the last of our soybeans are coming out of the north field. There’s something magical about harvest time - it’s when all the year’s work, worry, and hope gets measured in bushels per acre and the weight of grain in the bin.

This year’s harvest wasn’t our biggest, but it might have been our most educational.

The Corn Told Its Story

Our corn averaged 180 bushels per acre this year - not record-breaking, but solid. What made it special was how it got there. We had a late spring that had us worried, a dry July that had us praying, and an August that delivered just enough rain at just the right time.

The field closest to the house - the one Great-Grandpa Joe cleared by hand in 1953 - gave us our best yield. There’s something about that old ground that just knows how to grow corn. Maybe it’s the decades of crop rotation, maybe it’s the way the morning sun hits it, or maybe it’s just the accumulated wisdom of 70 years of farming.

Soybeans and Surprises

The soybeans surprised us this year. The field we almost didn’t plant (the wet spot that stays soggy until May) ended up being our star performer. Sometimes the land has plans you don’t expect.

We tried a new variety this year - one that promised better drought tolerance. It delivered, but not in the way we expected. Instead of just surviving the dry spell, it seemed to thrive in it, developing deeper roots and stronger stems.

Community Harvest

But the real lesson this year wasn’t about crops - it was about community.

When our combine broke down on a Tuesday morning (because farm equipment only breaks down at the worst possible times), we figured we’d lose at least three days waiting for parts. Instead, our neighbor Tom showed up Wednesday morning with his combine.

“Looks like you could use a hand,” he said, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

By Thursday evening, not only was our corn out, but we’d helped him finish his back forty too. That’s how it works out here - we take care of each other because we know the land takes care of all of us.

The Numbers and the Stories

Here’s what the books will show for 2024:

• Corn: 180 bu/acre average across 45 acres
• Soybeans: 52 bu/acre average across 35 acres
• Hay: 127 round bales (our best year yet)

But the books won’t show:

• The morning Dad and I watched a family of deer feeding in the standing corn
• The afternoon thunderstorm that caught us in the field and reminded us who’s really in charge
• The satisfaction of filling the grain bins with our own harvest
• The exhaustion that feels good because it comes from meaningful work

Looking Ahead

As we clean up the equipment and start thinking about next year, we’re already making plans. The wet field that surprised us this year gets soybeans again. The corn ground gets a cover crop to build soil health over winter.

And we’re thinking bigger picture too. This harvest gave us enough cushion to start planning for the farm tours we want to offer next spring. There’s something about sharing this life that makes the work even more meaningful.

Winter Prep Begins - November 2024

With harvest complete, we’re shifting into winter mode. Equipment maintenance, planning next year’s crops, and getting ready for the quiet months when the land rests and we plan.

The Real Harvest

Every year, harvest teaches us something new. This year’s lesson was about resilience - not just the crops’ ability to adapt and grow, but our own ability to work with what we’re given and find abundance in unexpected places.

The grain bins are full, the equipment is cleaned and stored, and the fields are ready for winter. But the real harvest - the lessons, the memories, the strengthened community bonds - that’s what we’ll carry forward into next year.

Next week: Getting the cattle ready for winter and why we love this time of year on the farm.