I was a freshman in college when I learned this lesson. I was helping dad on the farm that hot summer. I remember the morning I slipped quietly into the house. Everyone was sleeping, I thought. It was still dark when I eased into bed. That was precisely when the alarm clock went off. Time …
Tag: Harvest
Lesson From The Farm, “If Your Tires Spin…Stop!”
Many times, we would harvest rice when the field was less than ideal. No one was exempt from getting stuck, but an experienced driver knew when to stop. All the equipment had very large tires with lugs designed to grip the soil. If the tractor or combine was moving it was great, but when the …
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Lesson From The Sharecropper
A "Sharecropper" is a farmer who works the land for a “share” of the harvest. The landowner receives a percentage or portion from the top of the harvest. My dad (pictured on his combine) was a sharecropper. He was responsible for the labor, equipment and the cost of planting and the harvest. After harvest, at …
Lesson From The Farm: “What Do You See?”
I asked a dear farmer friend, "What are your thoughts when you plant?" He quickly replied, "I see the harvest!" Think about that. My friend is a seasoned farmer. He has “put-in” a lot of crops. He knows the hard work that lays ahead. He has experienced the enormous risks of poor crop prices, insects, …
Lesson From My Grandpa’s Farm: The Power of The Seed
In the last few years of God using me to publish “Today’s Good News” I have recognized how He orchestrates His Way. It begins with an idea (that I now know is His whisper), or a memory or a verse, it’s what someone says that leads to a message. It’s a word of two someone …
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“What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?”
I remember this gnawing question as a child, a teen, and young adult…the searching for significance. This “searching” took me down many roads…roads that usually led to failure, disappointment & painful consequences. We have witnessed many changes & advancements through history but when you think about it the Dominant Operating Culture (DOC) of the world …
Lessons From The Farm: “Do The Lights On Your Tractor Work?” Part 2
Growing up on the farm meant getting started early and working late. Usually, it began as the sun was coming up and working until the sun went down. But on this day…it went past “dark-30”. Planting & harvest have windows of time when they must be done. If a farmer misses the planting days, there …
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Lessons From The Farm: “Do The Lights On Your Tractor Work?” Part 1 of 2
It was around 5 o’clock the afternoon I drove my tractor out of the field and pulled up to dad with my important question, “What time are we going to the house to eat?” My dad, a man of very few words, responded, “Do the lights on your tractor work?” He answered me with a …
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Getting The Ground Ready
In late winter, early spring, my dad “Got The Ground Ready.” That meant all the equipment had been repaired or replaced and made ready for “Plantin’ Time.” He had all the seed & fertilizer waiting for that narrow window of time…when the ground temperature & moisture were right. Nothing was more important than getting the …
What’s In the Hopper
Harvest is the final exam on the farm. It is when the farmer gets the results for… the investment of money + over 10 months of hard work + knowledge & experience +/- the weather - pests/weeds/disease = the Harvest. With every crop my dad faced unknowns & conditions that would push his ability to …
Today's Good News 