Contrasts

The transition from winter to spring is full of contrasts. Things that have been inactive for months start to come alive. There is a sense of expectancy and energy that comes with the warm temps and southerly winds. These bags of alfalfa are waiting for Karl as he finishes one custom seeding job and prepares to start another. 

 The winter landscape in Iowa tends to be black and white and often dull and dark. Spring by contrast is strikingly different. Colors come and life starts to brighten. Days get noticeably longer. The treated alfalfa seed show up colorful against the green drill. Seed is coated to protect it from disease and rot as it lays in the cold soil waiting to germinate.

 Our farm has a variety of color when it comes to machinery. We have a green tractor on a red planter. We have a red tractor on a green planter. And we have green tractors on green planters.

I need to correct a story from last week when I mentioned Ethan wrote a letter to Successful Farming for an assignment. He actually wrote to the president and Successful Farming found it online while researching for stories about farmland being used for urban development. SF then called Osky Christian School to ask if they knew Ethan and if he was related to BJ who they had interviewed before. BJ is Ethan's uncle.

 We started spraying this past week both for ourselves and others. Below Jim is bringing Kasey hotloads (already mixed) of pre for this coming year's soybean crop.

 We also helped CPS with dry spreading fertilizer. The field locations were widespread from Albia to Grinnell.

 Matt is helping Karl treat soybean seed before it is delivered. Soybeans are treated to be resistant to bugs, diseases, and fungus. Once the seed is in the ground moisture releases the treatment to form a barrier of protection around the roots of the young plant.

 A fair amount of seed corn was went out this past week. Below Mark is picking up a box of seed that was planted across from he and Stacy's home farm.

 Some seed leaves in seed tenders and goes right to the field. Other seed is picked up or delivered in trucks and brought to a customers seed shed.

Cassia and friends are busy painting in their new home. Ati and Natali  showed me one of their bedroom walls contrasted with different colors and stripes.

Jan contrasts bright colors and patterns in the quilts she builds. This one is loosely laying on the floor in the basement. Looks like the fabric on the top edge is getting ready for a border.

Malaki helped his Dad a fair amount this past week delivering seed with the semi. Looks like they stopped for breakfast. April is a busy birthday month around here. Malaki turns three on Tuesday. Becky's birthday is today. Mark and Stacy have an anniversary next week as well as Doug and Ginger I think.

Farming is an occupation of contrast ranging from turning over the fresh soil mid week with temps in the 70s to snow and blowing snow this morning. As in any business their are also contrasting trends. Often we can quietly feel things either climbing or slipping. We rarely stay status quo. My encouragement to you today is to not let the slow transaction to spring or the depressing farm economy take away your expectancy and energy. In life attitude is 90% of the solution.

Are you a decision maker, a decision watcher, or a decision wonderer? Indecision and watching other's decisions and following them doesn't always work. Taking a step of faith and making decisions is a contrast, is different, is change, and can be scary. Zigging when others are zagging can make you feel like the only red apple in a box of green ones. You will be criticized. Human nature likes to point out others faults and hope they fail. Also it's not about being noticed. However when you venture out of your comfort zone you will become a more colorful person. You might even have a positive influence on others.

As you interact with others does your life light up the dark corners of the world you visit? If God puts you in a contrasting situation use your gifts to be a listener, a friend, an encourager, maybe even an advisor. Lets add light, warmth, and color to our part of the world this spring.