Courage To Continue Counts

Have you ever battled that feeling, "I'm just not enough"? "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."---Winston Churchill

 We've been in the field 2 1/2 days in the last 4 weeks. Many folks haven't turned a wheel since late April. We do have around 90% of our corn planted and about half of our soybeans. Around our community a few famers have finished. Also a few haven't started planting. They only had time to get their fertilizer applied. Most fields are either saturated or flooded. The forecast is for thunderstorms 7 of the next 10 days. This rig below has sat on a bottom southwest of Lovila on a farm Kurt rents for the last 2 weeks.

 Planted corn has been slow at emergence and growth. The field below was planted April 14. Our warmer temps the last few days has helped get things growing. Weed control continues to be excellent. Flooded acres have survived if the crop doesn't stay emerged over 24 hours.

 9 days ago December corn had hit a 52 week low. Friday afternoon it closed within 4 cents of it's 52 week high going up 52 cents in those 9 days. Soybeans have followed slowly.

 Sprayed cover crop is dying nicely. This field around BJ and Cassia's house was planted to soybeans in late April and sprayed 2 weeks later.

This past Friday evening Rachel graduated from 8th grade at Osky Christian. Rachel's personal Bible verse was 1 Thess5:15 which talks about helping and doing good to folks. The class song was "You Say" by Lauren Daigle. It's a neat song that talks about God saying we're enough when we fight voices that say we're not. Rachel is a daughter of BJ and Cassia.

Karl came over yesterday to get his batwing ready for summer mowing.

Mark and Stacy's family started building a small livestock shed for 4-H projects. If you look close at the picture you see Mark is pushing in the poles with his back hoe.

Our crew continues to haul grain during these wet days.

Another quote from Winston Churchill. "Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It's the courage to continue that counts." Being in the custom work and seed business and working for other folks results in many conversations with those folks. Everyone is in the "same boat" so to speak. So we decided to get as many farmers as wanted to get together, have a good lunch, listen to a panel of folks, and just enjoy each other's company while we are waiting for dry weather. Thanks to our crew for cleaning up the shop. Thanks to BJ and Kurt for grilling steaks and brats.

Thanks to Kristin, Emily, Heather, and Linda for serving. Thanks to Kristin and Jan for purchasing and preparing the food.

Over 100 farmers came, ate, visited, and listened as speakers talked about subject matter relevant to this years delayed season. To those of you who follow this visit on Sunday mornings a big thank you for helping make it a good day.

The panel of speakers included: Maree from Cargill talking about our current markets. Brian from Bank Iowa talking about good communications with lenders. Russ from Nutrian Ag talking about crop herbicides and fertility. Greg, an agronomist talking about seed maturity and populations. Mark, a farm consultant getting folks to think outside the box. Ryan from Rain and Hail Insurance talking about coverage and deadlines. and Marvin from Cargill talking about handling stress. A big thank you to all of you. You did a great job. Also a thank you to all the other ag business folks who came.

Kutos to Jan for baking 15 to 25 dozen cookies for church coffeetime every Sunday during cookie season. This is her last Sunday as she is going to take a break.

This is Memorial Day weekend. A time when we remember. If you remember back to the lives of those who have gone before us, most were in situations when they needed to have the courage to continue whether it was a veteran or a family loved one.

For the last couple of years I have visited a neighbor and landlord of Karl's every week who had a stroke. We have been friends for over 40 years. Being single he had asked if we could be his family after his father died. At 67 years old it was a struggle for him to be in assisted living, however he had the courage to continue.

Charles passed away Friday afternoon. During one of our last visits I pushed his wheel chair up to a cafeteria table near a window. Although he struggled to talk he wanted to know how things were on the farm and always thanked me for coming. We prayed together every visit.

Many of you have found the courage to continue while dealing with stress at work, health issues, financial loss, strained relationships, addictions, being a caretaker, or experiencing loss of loved ones. As I woke up this morning to thunder and showers shortly before 4am, I thought how wet weather is just a "drop" in the bucket. When life gets tough ask God for courage. And when He gives it remember to say thank you. As Rachel's class song says, "When I'm not enough, You say I am loved. You say I am strong. You say I am held." See you next week.