An inside look at harvest – 24 hours on an Illinois crop farm
During harvest, things get pretty busy on an Illinois crop farm – especially when said crop farmers have four kids! This year is going to look a little different. Todd left his full-time off-farm job this spring to focus on our business that provides equipment and services to area farmers and to be more available to help on the farm. I am still saving and balancing vacation days to cover things for the kids and being on the farm. (Yes, I use “vacation” days to work!)
Day-to-day things may look a little different depending on weather and schedules, but here is what a day in our lives typically looks like during the peak of harvest.
As the kids get older, we’re finding it to be more and more like completing a 5,000 piece puzzle! At the same time, the older kids are taking on more responsibility. This fall marks our 13th wedding anniversary. A lot has changed from that harvest we met while I was running the grain cart and he was “the truck driver,” and while I may spend more time with the logistics and filling in, there is no better life than seeing your kids grow up to love the same industry and want to be side by side with family working the land that’s been in the family for generations.
5 A.M. – Todd is out the door- making sure equipment is serviced and ready for the day.
6 A.M. – Megan makes school lunches & breakfast, kid #1 & #2 are out the door doing their livestock chores, checks the weather.
7 A.M. – Megan leaves to start the drop off routine: Kid #4 goes to daycare and needs pre-school items, kids #1-3 get dropped off at school making sure kid #1 has band equipment, give rides to the family harvesting who need to get back to equipment or move something around.
8 A.M. to Noon – Megan does any remaining livestock chores, checks the dryers on grain storage bins to make sure everything is working properly, does a quick check-in with customers to make sure their harvest is going smoothly, checks in to see if anyone needs lunch/parts/rides, starts prepping for supper in the field.
Noon – Lunch is usually something quick: lunch meat sandwiches or fast food. We all know the packed lunch never makes it past 10 A.M.!
1 P.M. to 4 P.M – Todd is driving a semi, running the combine, helping a customer who’s broken down, delivering fuel, or anything else that needs done. Megan is filling in where needed doing things like driving the auger cart, unloading grain, watching grain transfer, cold-calling, and doing combine ride-alongs with prospective seed customers.
4 P.M. – Megan gets the kids from school and daycare and delivers 1-2 children to the field to ride with Dad for a while. Kid #1 gets to run the auger cart if homework is done.
5 P.M. – Megan and the kids are home. Megan feeds and waters cattle while kid #2 does their livestock chores.
6 P.M. – Megan delivers a meal to the field with the kids so they can say “hi” to Dad and Dad can get something to eat.
7 P.M. – Megan heads home and gets the kids to bed.
8 P.M. – Megan takes care of animal chores. If needed, she gives final rides and whatever else she can to keep the guys going in the fields for a few more hours.
9 P.M. – Megan starts reviewing any completed harvest data to run year-end analysis, printing maps to be used for next year decision making, coordinating soil testing and reviewing results. All of this data helps write fertility plans (crop nutrition menus) that will be applied with precision technology to ensure the next year’s crop is receiving exactly what it needs, where it needs it.
Midnight – Todd gets home from the field and checks on the kids and Megan before getting some sleep.
2 A.M. – Dream about harvest.
Wake up and start all over again!
Some days include a three-hour round trip for parts if machinery is broke down or unhooking and moving to a new field because conditions have changed and that field is no longer suitable for harvesting. If a kid gets sick at school, our days get even crazier.
Harvest on an Illinois crop farm is hard work, but this is what we work toward each year. Harvest is the season where we literally get to “reap what we sow.” And when you love your work, it doesn’t feel much like work at all.
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