One time when I was young and goofing off, my dad threatened to make me sleep in the barn as punishment? As Thanksgiving approaches, I believe it is safe to say that most farmers have concluded the harvest of their 2025 crops. How much has farming changed in the last 55 years since I was a child?
I remember harvest always lasting past Thanksgiving, as far as Christmas and sometimes even later. A weatherman stated that the Chicagoland area has 45 more frost free days added to the growing season than it did in 1960. The weather has changed a lot since I was born in 1964. As a young farmer, harvest always dragged into winter. Now with the climate change it is not uncommon to have soybeans harvested by Columbus Day and in many years corn by Halloween. 2019 excluded, of course.
Without going into detail, other inventions and technologies that have greatly improved a harvest since 50 years ago would have to include: the cell phone, biotechnology improving corn standability, computers in machinery for driving and record keeping, and the size, comfort and efficiency of combines, all leading to yield improvement and less stress.
I do not want to jinx myself, but it has been ages since we have had to fight mud, snow and other inclement weather. Once again, I have deleted 2019 from my memory. The downside to harvest occurring much earlier and during warmer temps has been the risk of fire. Equipment and field fires were about impossible in freezing temps when we were slogging through rainy spells and fighting snow on days that the sun began to set as soon as it rose. Most years we now celebrate Thanksgiving without the strain of finishing the harvest. That is truly something to be thankful for!
Now about the punishment of having to sleep in the barn; that sure has changed in my lifetime. That would be delightful in 2025. The horse barn now has heat and A/C, a bathroom, full electricity as well as security cameras and wifi; it is missing the television. Perhaps I can Airbnb the horse barn into an agritainment destination where you can sleep with the horses and chickens and cats... I would say the dogs, but they are too high brow for a barn; there is manure odor. I guess that was good enough for Mary and Joseph 2,000 years ago.
I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving. Why so early you ask, well the postal service has not enjoyed the same improvements as my harvest in the last 50 years. When I was young you could send mail to your neighbor or to the east or west coast and it arrived within 3 days. This paper is sometimes so late I do not even remember what I wrote, I once received 3 consecutive weeks on the same day. In March I received a check for straw delivered in October. The check was dated November, the postmark was Dec, 10, it arrived 3 months later.
I better wish you all a Merry Christmas now as well, just to be safe.
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