January and February started off with snow and tons of it; but I wasn’t complaining because I think I only went to school for one full week in January. Farmers spent their days outside in the cold breaking ice and their kids outside shoveling bunks. Like they always say, a late Easter means a late spring and that was certainly the case in 2019. Some farmers got lucky and got crops in the ground in April, but then it snowed. Calling a farmer stressed at that point was an understatement. May brought buckets of rain pushing planting back ever further.
Before farmers knew it, it was June and they were still planting. Muddy fields led to chains being hooked up to pull people out. This made tension even higher as the race to put crops in was on. Once crops were in the rest of the summer was spent making hay and having fun at the fairs. Come September it was time to chop. Yet just like the planting that should have been done in April, chopping was also delayed because of the weather. We spent what should have been harvest season in October watching raindrops and to top it all off it snowed on Halloween. Any dry day that came around you could see combines in the field. Thanksgiving was spent in the field and being thankful it wasn’t raining. Come late December, crops were almost completely out. It was truly a Christmas miracle.
This year really tested everyone’s patience in more than one way, but we made it through and made the best of what we were given. Honestly, I think it made us stronger. Farmers are ready for whatever 2020 may bring and hopefully this year will reward farmers for their hard work, perseverance, and patience. I hope everyone has a Happy New Year!
- Kesley Holdgrafer
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