It's Time

"It's time," said the farmer to his wife. 

She looks at him and asks, "Are you sure?  Do you really think it is time?"

He nods.  "Yes, honey.  The timing is right.  We have waited over 9 months, I am certain."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's time.  Wheat harvest is here in the little community I grew up in. 

Farmers planted their wheat last September.  That is of course after they spent hours in their tractors prepping the soil for planting.  They waited in anticipation to see if their seed wheat took.  They hoped and prayed for just the right amount of moisture to get their wheat started. And after a few days green started peeking through the ground.

The wheat continued to grow until you couldn't see the rows.  It became a field of green and lay dormant during the winter months. 

Spring always brings about uncertainty on the farm.  There are threats of a late freeze which will usually damage your crop, threats of excessive moisture (which was definitely not the case this year), and threats of hail which can flatten your crop or damage the heads on your wheat.

When spring set in this year, the farming community started to worry.  It was an incredibly dry winter and they began to worry about whether or not they would have a crop. 

But they proceeded on as planned. 

The month of May came and the wheat for the most part was mature but still green.  It needed to dry out.  The latter part of May usually brings hot temperatures and wind which dried the wheat out.  The wheat turns a lovely golden color which signals the beginning of wheat harvest.

There is so much anticipation leading up to wheat harvest.  Farmers are waiting to find out how their crop is going to fare.  But there is also so much work that goes into the harvesting of the wheat.

Of course there is the cutting of the wheat which is done with a combine.  But there is also the taking the of the wheat to town to store at the local coop.  Then there is the behind the scenes work that usually takes place in the kitchen.  The guys (and gals) out in the field need nourishment from the hot summer sun.  They need meals brought to them out in the field because stopping the combine is forbidden (at least it was on our farm).  They also need water (Pepsi and Dr. Pepper) and snacks brought to them.

They work a bunch of long days in a row, but in a matter of 2 or 3 weeks all the wheat has been cut in the area.  They breathe a sigh of relief and start working the ground again prepping for planting that is coming in another 3 months. 

I always enjoyed wheat harvest.  I find myself getting homesick about this time of year because I want to be there helping out.  I would be of absolutely no help to them now, but I still think I ought to be there.  Once a farmer's daughter, always a farmer's daughter...

Thanks for stopping by,
Carrie

PS.  Stay tuned.  In the next couple of days I will post tomorrow about my experience with wheat harvest from driving the wheat truck to working at the scalehouse.  What an adventure!!!