In a typical year we would have started swathing the grass about the last week of June and start thrashing the seed around July 4th. This allows for sufficient drying time for the seed, approximately about 10 days. This year we didn’t start swathing/cutting the grass until July 7th. Not only was the grass seed ripening behind but the weather did not help the drying process. The rain didn’t want to let up.
The week of the 18th had started out very rainy that even the local news was out to interview my dad about dismal harvest conditions. The Willamette Valley grass seed farmers needed some sunshine, warmth & wind very badly.
As our dad started to slip into a depression, my sister and I reminisced about other times when things weren’t going right on the farm. My sister and I ran crews, machinery, drove truck and had the most important job of all…keeping the boss in a good mood. A job which we still retain today.
Here are a few tips, tricks and tactics we employ on our farm to keep the boss man or even a crew happy:
- “P.M.A.!!” (Positive Mental Attitude). This is a standard farm acronym and saying, while things may not be going the way they need to, it’s best to try and keep your chin up.
- Sing. You don’t need to know the lyrics or even the tune…but busting out a song always brings a smile to anyone’s face. Especially if you adjust the lyrics to match harvest. There are times I think we should quit farming and start a band.
- Air Guitar. Tell the entire crew to turn it to “Oldies” station and then proceed to play air guitar to Susie Q while on top of your truck as they go around.
- Imagination. When something is destroyed, broke or unrepairable and no one witnessed it. It’s best to make up a story of a freak tornado or possible gremlins. For example, port-a-potty is smashed to smithereens, the logical explanation for anyone would be a funnel cloud appeared and touched down right there, not that someone (dad) ran over it.
- Harvest CD. Every harvest should have a theme and CD to go get you pumped up on the way to the field. 2011 Harvest Theme: “Long Ways to Go and a Short Time to Get There”
What are things you do on your farm to keep the morale up? I would love hear them!
Oh and yes we finally started combining on July 22nd, only 3 weeks behind the norm, but hey what’s normal in farming?
Combining Fescue
Shutting down for the day
I am sure with two wonderfully funny daughters like you how could you not put a smile on the bosses face. For my farmer, this year has been truly odd. Going on the river with some fellow farmers in the middle of July did absolute wonders for his mood. Knowing that this year is exceptional and everyone is in the same situation helped relieve some of the anxiety. Laughing at each other’s plight seems to lighten the mood and put things in perspective. The saying, “It always could be worse!” really rings true.
Seems simple…
Bring “family” to the Farmer!
Always finding the time to sit beside my husband in the swather on those late night or early morning swathings. Taking a home cooked meal to the combine with some of his favorite home made cookies. But most important if it wasn’t for the many memories we’ve created out there on the farm….there would have been missed milestones in the life of raising a Farmers daughter…so to me its simple the best way to keep a smile on a farmers face…take the family to him!!!
This summer has been a bit more serious with the moisture problems, later harvest and the pressure we have through the chain of people this delays and might harm. So, we have been praying a lot-not just for our farm, but for our neighbors who are still waiting for dry fields. We also love to encourage the employees by talking personally to each one every day. Besides all the family members that are involved in our farm, we feel like a family with all our employees. And-I always turn to food for comfort-cookies, ice cream, and even a DQ meal for each worker once and a while is a boost to them. I love working on a family farm and I would not trade it for anything. Thanks Marie for the article.