StillwatersIowa

It's 5am Thanksgiving morning. As I slowly wake up I'm thinking, no seed calls today, no trucking appointments, it sounds like it's raining so no field work. Maybe I'll just pull the covers up, roll over, and go back to sleep. Then I suddenly, fortunately, remembered. Jan had said the night before, don't forget to turn the smoker on when you get up early.   There were a least 40 of us for Thanksgiving dinner and yes, we had plenty to eat, a couple of turkeys, a couple of hams, and all the rest. Along with Jan and I, our kids, and our grandkids, my parents, and my brothers and their families came. Some of you know what it's like. As you get older and your own family grows up you see less and less of the family you grew up with. I was blessed to grow up with both parents, 3 brothers, 2 sisters, and a house full of foster kids. Remember what hand-me-downs were? We had little money however we kids didn't know or worry about that because I remember...

I'm sure many of you have heard the adage over the years that there is a generation that makes it, followed by one that uses it, followed by the third that loses it. As our country was moving into the early 1900s many of our ancestors immigrated to America to find work, religious freedom, and the hope of owning property. Those folks worked hard, raised a family, lived through a depression, were blessed with opportunities, and finally either willingly or unwillingly passed the baton on to their kids. The kids now knew English as their native tongue and America had been home all their lives. They went to school for the most part, married, worked, took part in the American dream of ownership, and had kids. Today we (those kids) live in the greatest country in the world.   The folks running for president have similar stories of their parents and grandparents coming to America for a better life and opportunities. Many of you who are frequent vis...

I watched the sun peak out after the storm and just before dark the other evening. The TV news was showing the different lines of heavy weather. Our neighborhood was spared damage. We were right between a tornado just to our south and one just to our north. We are in-between fall and winter. Fall tillage, NH3, slurry hauling, dozing, and tiling are now happening in-between wet weather.   I'm visiting with you from Georgia this evening. We are staying just south of Atlanta.  Jan and I drove down with my parents for a long weekend to attend a memorial service for a relative of my mom who recently died. As we drove around today to see what was in the rural areas I was struck by all the large beautiful homes setting back in the trees with a fenced in yard. Obviously very well to do folks. On those same roads were homes barely good enough to keep a family dry and warm. Obviously poor folks with little resources. Now I don't know...

Stepping outside one's comfort zone and being challenged with something you're not familiar with is important and often results in accomplishments. Below Ben is helping his daughter meet a group of geese after church on the parking lot.   Mark often steps out and tackles his own projects including replacing his own pickup clutch. Improving farms with tile and terraces is stepping out and looking long term in taking care of the land for the next generation. In years with lower farm income it's sometimes tempting to hold off on projects. The guys are busy fixing, tiling, and pushing dirt. Kurt is in-line ripping ground with intentions of breaking up a hardpan in the soil caused by tillage layers. Jackson knows when his daddy is not home he might be on the 2-way. He loves to help his dad farm. Because of wetter weather and slower starts in the mornings part of the crew got together for breakfast. Harrison is a pastor in Malawi, Africa. He stepped out...