Tractors

A person always has a favorite possession. This can be anything. Sometimes for people it’s a picture, or a piece of jewelry, or honestly anything you could probably think of. Farmers however usually all have the same, yet different prized possessions. That is a tractor. When they were kids they also had their favorite tractor that they used and played with all the time. Farmers simply love tractors and more than likely now have a favorite big one compared to all the rest.

A tractor to a farmer is like their best friend. If you ask a farmer anything about their tractor they can tell you in full detail all about it. They can tell when they got it, where they got it, any and all details about its hours, and if you're lucky they will even give you a funny background story of all of it’s previous owners if it has any. It is crazy how much they can really remember about all these tractors. They probably wouldn’t be able to tell you the year they graduated and maybe even not the year they got married, but they can tell every year in which they purchased a tractor without hesitation. Farmers have different types of tractors as well. They have their favorite, which is usually the workhorse, the one they use everyday, it’s newness has faded and it rarely gets power washed. The next type of tractor the farmer has is what most people would call their fine china. These tractors are stored away most of the time. These can either be a big four wheel drive that only comes out for a certain season or two and would never be put on a manure spreader. This can also be the prized restored tractors that are always shining sitting in the shed, parade ready, to be shown off on a nice summer day.

A farmer would not want to be anywhere else this spring then sitting in a tractor working up the ground or planting. It’s their happy place. I hope everyone is having a great planting season and that the rest of it goes smoothly as well. Our planters have been dancing across the fields with a few new drivers in the tractor seat this year. My big brothers, the college boys, have been home since March. Spring is sprinting by with all the extra help around the farm! 

~ Kesley Holdgrafer

    

Hats

When being a farmer you have to make a lot of decisions. You have to pick whether you are going to plant corn or beans on a field. You have to decide what type of seed you want and where you are going to get it from. Now there are many deciding factors that help with this decision. One factor though that you can never forget about is the hats that the place you choose from will supply you with. All farmers love their hats and have many types of hats for any special occasion hidden at home.



My brothers do not hang up a lot of their shirts or coats but they have a huge hat hanger always filled with tons of their favorite hats. There's nothing worse than a squished flat farm hat but a wrinkled shirt really doesn’t bother them much. Farmers have certain hats for certain occasions. The first type of hat most farmers have is their work hat. Now this type of hat is used to the max! It is probably covered in dirt and if it has a logo it’s either worn off or also covered in dirt. This hat fits perfectly on the farmers head and the bill is also a rounded perfection to keep the sun from his eyes.



The next type of hat a farmer has is his good hat. The farmer has many of these hats around the house. Picking a hat to go out in is a bigger decision then picking which plaid shirt to wear when they go somewhere. These are the types of hats farmers wear to farm shows, farm equipment auctions, and banquets.



The next type of hat is the sports outing hat. Now this hat isn’t your typical sport hat that is Nike. This is the type of hat that is a specific color to match the team they are cheering for. The logo however is still anything farm related. If you’re lucky you might find a hat in their stash with a small team logo on the side, but on the front it is still a farm hat.



I wish you all the best this spring and be safe hopefully with little to no problems with your equipment. I hope you also get some cool hats or other apparel from the places you choose to do business with this spring. Happy planting! ~ Kesley Holdgrafer

Directions

Throughout the years the way directions are given have changed drastically. In today’s world you can just simply type something in your phone and with the touch of a button you have an instant map that can get you to your destination, talking you through which way to go each step of the way. However the key detail you need for this all to work is an address. That is one thing farmers do not usually ever have for other than their home farms. Farmers have different ways of explaining to you where their fields are and how to get there.

If the farmer has a lot of time to explain it to you about where to go they will draw you an awesome very detailed map. Now this type of map is never usually done with pen on paper. If in a field they will use the dusty top of the seeder or whatever equipment they are using. That is great and all, but if you want to double check your directions to see if you are on the right path you soon come to realize that your map is already bouncing across the field that you already left. If at a kitchen table they will use everything on the table as props to make their map. That salt shaker will become a specific bin or silo where you turn at and that napkin will play as someone’s house, and that butter knife is a fence. Another map farmers like to make to show you directions is to draw one in the dirt while standing in the field. This is also a great map used regularly, but you can not take it with you. Another thing farmers will do if they are in a hurry is just tell you the town and the color of the shed it is by. This can lead to many problems. At the time they said that they probably did not think about how many people have red sheds on that gravel road. Last but not the least and sometimes the hardest directions to follow come from the grandparents or the older generation. After talking to them you usually have to call someone else for more specific up to date directions before you end up lost because they like to tell you directions by using old farm names. What they do not realize is that the people that used to live there or own that ground have been gone for a long time. My 17 year old self has no idea who they even are talking about because I have never heard of that last name in a conversation before, let alone in directions. The next thing they like to use and what most farmers use as well, which is north, south, east, and west while giving those directions. Those are the most dreaded words to hear if I need directions. I am more of a turn right and turn left kind of girl.

I am getting better! So far this spring I have not gotten completely lost yet or showed up in a whole different field. I hope you all have a great week and that you all find and reach your destinations perfectly. - Kesley Holdgrafer

     

Snacks in the Field

It is the middle of April and so far the weather has been amazing. Farmers have been in the fields the last week putting on anhydrous gearing up for planting season. The seed bags or boxes are in the shed ready to go. The planter itself has been worked on and greased up and is itching to hit the fields. The farmer probably won’t admit it but they're as giddy as a school girl to finally get out there and plant. Last but not least the farmer's wife is the most excited to get their farmer off the farm and in the tractor.

However, there is one thing that is super important and is a necessity in order to have a joyful planting season that I forgot to mention. That is making sure a lot of snacks and munchies are bought and stored in the shop and the tractor. If there's one thing I have learned while being on the farm my whole life it’s that a hungry farmer is not a happy farmer. During spring there are a lot of things that need to get done making a farmer pretty stressful, but then on top of that they are hungry. That is never a pretty sight and snacks and munchies are the key to help get rid of that. With the situation the world is in right now most people are going to the grocery stores stocking up on food and toilet paper. During planting season though you will need a full cart of just snacks. Every farmer has a favorite whether it’s a candy bar, an apple, or a bag of chips. If the farmer says he doesn’t like what you got him, be sure to throw in a quick line like, “I didn’t have to get you anything”. It usually gets them to eat whatever you packed in the snack bag, even if it is fruit.


On behalf of all farmers, I want to thank everyone who plays an important role in the huge process of planting season because you truly are the strong backbone of the operation. I hope everyone has a safe planting season with great weather and hopefully none or just a few minor breakdowns! 

- Kesley Holdgrafer