There's a little patch of land just up the creek from me that my family has been farming for over 100 years. Some of my earliest and fondest memories center around harvest time in this field. Bell peppers when I was just a little bitty fella and sorghum cane up until I was in college. Some years, sweet corn. Some years pumpkins. Always something to take to market.
My family farmed until they didn't have to. The prosperity and the convenience found here in America meant we didn't have to farm anymore.
My children have never known farming except for the little garden we grow. I wanted them to have some of the life lessons and experiences that only farming can give.
So this year, I put the plow back in the dirt. I turned over some dirt that hasn't been turned in a while. It was like seeing and old, familiar friend.
After plowing and letting it sit a few weeks, I hooked up the harrow disks, known colloquially as "hars" and broke up the soil even more. That's all we ever had growing up. Now, we've added a rotary tiller that preps the dirt even more.
Finally, after several heavy rains left the field too muddy to plant, we got a couple dry, windy days in a row and we planted a half acre of Peaches and Cream sweet corn.
I went to check on it today. She looks like she's cooking right along. Coming up good and thick. Now if I can keep the weeds suppressed and keep the bears out of it later in the summer, we'll be in business.
My family farmed until they didn't have to. The prosperity and the convenience found here in America meant we didn't have to farm anymore.
My children have never known farming except for the little garden we grow. I wanted them to have some of the life lessons and experiences that only farming can give.
So this year, I put the plow back in the dirt. I turned over some dirt that hasn't been turned in a while. It was like seeing and old, familiar friend.
After plowing and letting it sit a few weeks, I hooked up the harrow disks, known colloquially as "hars" and broke up the soil even more. That's all we ever had growing up. Now, we've added a rotary tiller that preps the dirt even more.
Finally, after several heavy rains left the field too muddy to plant, we got a couple dry, windy days in a row and we planted a half acre of Peaches and Cream sweet corn.
I went to check on it today. She looks like she's cooking right along. Coming up good and thick. Now if I can keep the weeds suppressed and keep the bears out of it later in the summer, we'll be in business.
