Farming is a Family Affair

I would like to share with you a bit that has taken place on the farm today. The term corporate farm or factory farm is thrown around today and I'm not really sure what is meant by that. I would like to show you what went on this morning on our family farm, which 96% of farms are still family farm. Today we had 4 generations working in the fields and my sons will be the 10th generation to farm if they choose to farm.

 

My father-in-law is harvesting wheat. We harvest the grain and leave the straw to build organic matter to help the soil.

 My husband (Big C) is planting soybeans in the same field where the wheat was harvested.

He also harvested wheat today.

 

My grandfather-in-law is mowing around the fields after they harvest. He's over 80 and still going strong.

 

And the little C's are soaking all of this up as they tag along with me. We started our morning with a run to the bank, watched a delivery of a new grain trailer, replenished a cooler of drinks, took Daddy lunch in the tractor, and helped move equipment to a new field.

It has been very busy today on the farm. We also have a few employees who work with us because we couldn't do it all but we are all working too. We are a family farm.

Wordless Wednesday

Photo shoot in the wheat field.

BBQ Porkchops

Here's is a family favorite recipe for pork chops.

Barbeque Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup of ketchup

1/2 cup chopped onion or 1/4 cup minced onion

1T Worcestershire sauce

 

Cover 3-6 pork chops depending on size with this sauce. Cook uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

 

I enjoy cooking and it seems to be a stress relief in my busy world. I don't enjoy cleaning up though which can cause stress again. Oh well. Last night I changed the recipe up a bit. I substituted ketchup with a quart of tomatoes I had canned last summer. I drained some of the juice out and added 3T of brown sugar and a splash of apple cider vinegar. I couldn't taste a difference other than the sauce was a little thinner. I serve the pork chops with homemade mashed potatoes and a green veggie.

 



Wordless Wednesday

The wheat is days from being ready to harvest; here is a view from our yard.

 

 

Farming is a lifestyle.

I've been at this farmer's wife thing for almost 6 years and I'm still learning that farming is a lifestyle. It's similar to being a mom; you can't hit a switch to turn it off. I've learned through these years that "going out to eat" when crops are in the field means driving past every field on the way to the restaurant. The first few years it would surprise me but now I come to expect it. Last year on our way to our 5 year Anniversary trip we stopped at a tractor dealership between here and there. I'm slowly learning to take these little detours in stride and have patience.

 

We have survived part of the planting season and now are waiting on wheat to get ready for harvest. Once the wheat is harvested soybeans will be planted in those fields. Since we were caught up on field work Big C and I were able to sneak away for the weekend without the boys to a friends wedding in TN. Last Friday I once again learned that farming is a lifestyle. Big C was in search of new-to-us tractor which meant we made a few stops along the way to Memphis; one in KY and one is west TN. We drove an hour on the interstate and the rest were back roads in KY and TN; very pretty country. About 7 hours into our 11 hour trip that should only take 5 hours I was glad the boys weren't with us. We were headed to Memphis and I had my heart set on BBQ for supper which leaving at noon that should be doable. Being from the deep south where there is BBQ around every corner and not sure much here; I was looking forward to some. I'm still not sure how we rolled into town at 11pm. BBQ closed. We settled for appetizers with some good friends.

All in all we enjoyed our trip through the country. Down side we still didn't find a tractor. We had a relaxing 2 nights away and catching up with friends from college.

I got my BBQ for lunch Saturday.

Even though miles and years have separated us it's great to know we can start back where we left off like old times. I was on the same dorm floor with these girls all the way through college.

We cleaned up pretty good and enjoyed our children free weekend. I'm sure they had more fun at the grandparents anyway.

Wordless Wednesday

Flowers from my man.

 

My birthday dinner at a Hibachi restaurant; we go for special celebration.

Little C2 liked it after the fire. Little C1 loved the whole thing.

Wordless Wednesday

Sidedressing: Big C applying nitrogen between rows of the corn to give it a boost after it starts growing.

Why I will not own a minivan.

I never pictured myself driving a minivan but for things I help with on the farm a minivan can't do what my SUV can. While we are in planting and harvest times I help escort the tractors and big machines down the road. Escorting is leading the big equipment warning the others cars with lights flashing; something big is coming. Some of the machines take up the majority of the road. Its the only time I can wave my arms out the window at people or honk my horn if they really aren't paying attention. I also pick up tractor and truck parts that wouldn't fit into a minivan. While delivering meals or other things to the field we have to drive through corn stalks and places a minivan couldn't pass. My SUV is very handy.
 

This past week we have had lots of rain; not really lots of it just little showers everyday but Saturday. The rain normally comes from the west but this week its been coming from the south and acting like Florida showers. It's been 80+ degrees each day so we haven't been rained out of the field for too long because the ground is drying fast.
 

On Memorial Day when most are enjoying a day off work we were out in the field. We were trying to get started planting corn in a field by the river. Before the ground was planted it was smoothed out so it wasn't so uneven and also breaking up the weeds that had grown. To do this the ground was "churned" up which doesn't mix too well when it rains. Which leads me to why I will not have a minivan. We had a pop up down pour. It came so fast a service truck was left down in the "churned up" dirt which quickly turned to mud. There were also bags of seed corn that were thrown in the back of my Explorer. My Explorer then became a tow truck. Big C drove it up the hill with a long strap hooked to the truck in the mud. Four wheel drive came in hand. I wish I had a video; I was quite impressed with my car. I'm sure a minivan couldn't do that.
Below is a picture of where the truck was pulled from. 

The red tractor is disking up the ground and the blue is planting corn.

Some other views of planting corn.

We finally finished down here on the river bottom Wednesday; once again trying to beat a rain cloud. We did!