StillwatersIowa

Many folks today think that confidence means we are on our own. That we are self made. That we are the reason for our accomplishments. We aren't. Just like Noah 4000 years ago, we belong to God. And we're included in Noah's rainbow promise: "That as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night will not cease." This rainbow came last evening just before dark. Yes. We make a living by what we get. However we make a life by what we give. We have been blessed so we can be a blessing. Harvest continues on both corn and soybeans. Corn yields go from remarkable to one of the best as we move north. Soybean yields are also really good as we move from 7 inches to 17 inches during the growing season. Getting contracts in to the processor was a struggle last week. We were hampered by short hours and long lines. The corn crop in this part of the country is going to be big. I'm not optimistic about prices. Alex moved B...

Isn't it crazy the random stuff you remember as a kid? When I lived in Pella as a 4th grader (Jackson's age) I still remember a husband and father in our church die of a tooth infection. 10 years ago as a father I remember in detail getting up in the middle of the night to go farm. I sat in my chair waiting for Tylenol to kick in for a tooth ache. That was just enough time for me to hear BJ ask for help on the 2-way when he burnt his eyes applying anhydrous. In 9th grade I remember my father taking me to an elderly farmer to ask for a job after school. I remember Pepsi and Archway cookies with that farmer every afternoon. I remember going to chore one Wednesday evening before Young Peoples and finding Walter. He had died of a heart attack. I still remember picking up the phone receiver, asking the neighbor to get off because it was a party line, calling Walter's son in Georgia, and telling him his father had passed away. I remember the neighbor picking up on the party line ...

A conversation is an interaction between two or more people. A story is a narrative given by one and read by others. Often on these Sunday mornings I wish I could listen to the stories about you-all's week. Below are four cousins on our Saturday harvest crew having a conversation. Elijah, Malaki, Jackson, and Zach. Two words came to mind this week. Remarkable. And respect. Our week was filled with corn harvest. We usually shoot for a starting date of the Tuesday after Labor Day. With the warm, dry, and windy conditions in the southern part of our farming area we had two days of harvest the previous week. Having corn under 20% moisture in early September is a first for us. Corn yields continue to be remarkable. I worry some about the soybeans. It hasn't rained here in 5 weeks. Here at the shop we've had 11 inches of rain for the year. And 7 inches for the growing season. Our normal average rainfall is just over 30 inches a year.  Our day usually starts with a cup of coffee a...

The election season was the most contentious election season in the history of the United States. Speeches and editorials suggested that there would be major consequences, depending upon the results. Tensions were running high. States were complaining about the federal government extending too much power. This was the opening paragraph of the book I'm reading. Sound a little familiar? Actually the year was 1860. And the controversial  presidential candidate was Abraham Lincoln. This weekend is often considered the last of the summer. In the late nineteenth century Labor Day was established as a federal holiday to remember the contributions workers have made to our countries strength and productivity. That's remembering the human element of what made the United States great. We have started corn harvest. The moisture on early April planted 5647 Becks and 5909 Becks are running from 21 to 24% moisture. We've seen very little disease in our corn this year including tar spot. F...