Best Part of being a Farmer

I'm quite often asked "What is the best part of being a farmer?"  For me, this is a very easy question to answer.  You see to me it is all about my kids getting to see and work with their parents and grandparents each and every day.  Now I don't mean to imply that every day is easy, but with family by your side, it is always better.

This past weekend our family held an open house for our newly built pig barn for our neighbors and local officials.  I was so proud to see my kids so excited to talk about our family farm with all that attended.  Big Sissy even did the official welcome and introductions.  I may have had to nudge her to do it, but she wrote her own remarks.

Over the weekend, Little Sissy had a homework assignment where she had to write about who and how she could help someone.  The first thing that came to her mind was helping her dad on the farm. As a farmer, it really doesn't get much better than that.

And with the Super Bowl last night, Bubby reminded us that he didn't know if his NFL career would work with farming and that he might have to pass on the NFL.  We assured him that if the NFL called, we would be glad to manage the farm for him.

To me, there is nothing better that having our kids be so involved with the farm.  Their love of the farm is genuine and one that will hopefully continue to be passed down for generations to come.

This is the best part of being a farmer.

Dear Heather

Well last week's Farmer Fridays didn't happen quite as planned with the passing of my Gramma, but we survived the events of last week and as I said then, I find much comfort in the fact that she is no longer suffering.

That being said, almost every day I get asked some sort of question about our farm, our crops, our pigs, etc...  Many of those questions I have answered over the years with past Farmer Fridays so I thought I'd get them organized all in one spot for you as part of this "Dear Heather" post.  I hope this answers some of your questions, but if you still have some, I'd love for you to contact me or leave a comment and I will answer them in future Farmer Fridays.

So here's some of the past "Dear Heather" questions I've been asked and answered:

What are the holidays like on the farm?

What is Christmas like on the farm?

How does corn grow?

Why is too much rain a bad thing?

Where do your pigs live?

Is corn really knee high by the 4th of July?

What type of corn do you grow on your farm?

What impact does the draught have on your crops?

How are you "green" on your family farm?

Did you grow up on a farm?

How do your pigs survive the Indiana winters?

How do you protect your pigs from the elements?

What is a "snow day" like on your farm?

Where can you buy our pork?

What is the best part of being a farmer?

What do you feed your pigs?

How do you use GPS technology on your farm?

What happens to your pigs when we have a big temperature change overnight?

How involved are your kids on the farm?

How long does planting and harvest season last?

So what else would you like to know?  Please leave it in the comments or email me at proudporkmom (at) gmail.com

7 Reasons Farming is like childbirth

Well it's official, I just survived my 15th harvest as The Farmer's wife.  Normally we would have a small little celebration of sorts, but I think this year everyone is just looking for a good night's sleep as this has been one of the longest harvest seasons I can remember.  This got me thinking... farming really is a lot like childbirth and here are my top 7 reasons why.

1.  It can be short.

Whether we are talking about planting or harvest season, it is all dependent on Mother Nature so it can be a short season or defer to #2.

2.  It can be long, as in never ending like this year.

3.  It can be a false alarm.

 Just like some women experience early contractions only to be sent home from the hospital, planting and harvest can often have a false alarm thanks to Mother Nature.  You know where you get everything ready to go to the fields and then it rains and rains and rains for days.

4.  It can be painful.

As a farmer there is not much worse than a broken piece of equipment, tractor, or combine during the planting or harvest season.

5.  It might require medication.

There might be a few nights during a long and painful planting or harvest season that some adult beverages are needed after many hours in the tractor or combine.

6.  It is all about family.

One of the best parts of being a farmer is getting to share our love and life with our kids each day.

7.  You can't wait to share the news.

At 6:32pm tonight I got the text from The Farmer that Harvest 2014 was finally done and I couldn't wait to tell all of you.

You see farming is a lot like childbirth because in the end we don't remember the bad parts of planting or harvest season.  We just remember the good, our love for the land, and doing our small part to make sure our family and all of yours have food to eat.  Just like my experiences with labor and delivery with these 3 amazing children.

So here's to the end of Harvest 2014 and looking towards Planting 2015.

Making memories on the farm

I still remember when my very first litter of 4-H rabbits were born my first year of 4-H more years ago than I'd like to admit.  It is a memory that will stick with me forever.  It didn't go exactly according to plan, but now that I've been through the process of labor and delivery three times I know it often doesn't go according to plan.   That being said, being able to be around and care for newborn animals is an amazing experience and one that I'm glad The Farmer and I can share with our children.  

This past weekend The Farmer, Little Sissy, and myself were out of town for a meeting which meant Big Sissy and Bubby were in charge of our newly born litters of 4-H pigs and one due while we were gone with the help of my father-in-law. Big Sissy and Bubby were so excited.  

Big Sissy took notes on her new iPod Touch from Santa so she knew how to feed the sows and their litters.  

She then not only kept us updated on every happening in the barn including a new litter complete with 12 new pigs, but she kept her best friend, who lives in a subdivision, up to date as well complete with the pictures in this post.

I love that our kids love the farm and their pigs so much and cherish all the memories they are making.  

Maybe it's cold outside...

The temperature in Indiana sure is a little wacky these days.  Since Christmas, we have had several inches of snow on the ground and winter like temperatures.  This has all changed this week as the snow is almost all melted, we've had over an inch of rain in the last 24 hours, and we are approaching 60 degrees as I type this. 

The dramatic weather changes not only wreak havoc on everyone's sinuses at the pigpen, but it also makes me very thankful for the way we raise our pigs.

As you know, The Farmer and I are the fourth generations of our families to raise pigs.  Our ancestors would be amazed with the care we can provide our pigs with the changing weather patterns we are currently experiencing.  My mother-in-law can tell many stories of what it was like to raise pigs in snowy, icy, cold weather conditions that overnight become wet and muddy. 

This is just one of the many reasons that I'm glad that we can raise our pigs today in climate controlled barns that allow us to protect them from the elements (and predators) and provide them with a 70 degree climate year round especially when we may or may not be cozied up around our fireplace at home trying to stay warm (of course The Farmer is always makes sure the pigs are taken care of first).



So with the tune of Baby It's Cold Outside running through my head, Maybe it's cold outside ...

We really can't stay
Maybe it's cold outside
We gotta go away
Maybe it's cold outside
This evening has been
Been wishing the rain away
So full of ice
I'll hold your umbrella today
The Farmer would start to worry
But the pigs are warm inside
Bubby would be pacing the floor
The pigs are protected inside
So really we don't have to scurry
Farming is our first love
The pigs are our top priority

The Farmer and the tablet

 

"Oh, the Places You'll Go"

I don't even know if Dr. Seuss could have imagined the places we could go thanks to technology.  Just on our family farm alone over the last few months, technology allowed for some exciting new additions on our family farm.  

These lovely ladies came to our family farm by way of Arkansas and will someday be the mommas of Big Sissy's 4-H pigs.  

Anyway, what do these pigs have to do with technology?  

Well you see The Farmer used this super handy, easy to use, and  super fast like 4G LTE fast tablet that he was testing from Verizon Wireless to bid on these pigs in an online auction.  (Online auctions didn't even exist not that long ago, but every year there are more and more of them as they allow people like us to look at, bid, and purchase pigs from all over the country.  Something that would be quite difficult without technology.) Any way, thanks to being able to view pictures of the pigs online, he purchased these 4 pigs all from the comfort of his chair at home and then drove to Arkansas a few days later to pick them up.  

 The whole thing is quite amazing to me that basically with a "computer" that fits in the palm of his hand, The Farmer was able to make some exciting purchases.

Needless to say, The Farmer fell in love with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and was quite depressed when we had to send it back.  Had I not been done with my Christmas shopping for him when we sent it back, there may have been one waiting under our tree for him, but alas, there was not.  I guess it is a good thing for him that he has a February birthday.

Technology on the farm

 

Technology...

Technology plays a big role in all of our lives and I must admit almost daily I'm amazed how fast it is changing.  When I graduated from college in 1999, my employer gave me a pager and a bag phone and I thought I was cool.  My how times have changed.

Just like technology has improved things in our daily lives, technology has made a big difference on our family farm. We are able to use GPS technology to more accurately plant our crops and precisely apply crop protectants when needed which has drastically reduced our carbon footprint as farmers.  And this is just one of many examples of how technology on the farm is making a big difference.

One thing The Farmer and his dad could not live without is their smart phones.  Whether it be to check the markets, the weather, or read their email, they are constantly using their smart phones for something other than just a phone.

So needless to say when I got the opportunity to try out some of the latest and greatest gadgets from Verizon Wireless, I knew The Farmer would be more than excited as he is always trying to find ways to help him on the farm.

From the moment the Samsung GALAXY S III arrived, I could hardly keep it out of The Farmer's hands.  He loved the big screen as it made it easier to type and read.  (This Blackberry lover still can't give up her keyboard.)

He also loved the 4G service which allowed him to access the weather and other essentials for the farm in no time at all everywhere on the farm.

All in all, The Farmer was impressed and he is not easily impressed.  So when you can impress him and it helps him on the farm, you have a winner.  (The Farmer was sad the day I had to send it back, but can hardly wait to see what comes next.. I know, but I'm not telling.)

Farmer Fridays - 2011 Harvest Season

Well Harvest 2011 is not quite in the books for us yet as we still have a couple hundred acres of corn to shell, but the end is definitely in sight.  I thought I would share some of my favorite photos from this year's harvest season for today's Farmer Fridays.

And remember Big Sissy shared some of her own earlier this month as she shared her view from the combine with us.

And just because our real harvest is almost over, doesn't mean Bubby's harvest is over.  He is planting and harvesting crops year round in our house.

Don't be alarmed by the red equipment.  He is a John Deere boy 100% just ask Miss Liz, but he will use whatever people will give him. 

Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have about our harvest season.

Farmer Fridays - Do you believe in signs?

This time of year our family is usually in full harvest mode harvesting our corn and soybean crop to ultimately feed our pigs.  However, the combine has not moved on our farm since Monday night as the rain that we needed all summer arrived on Tuesday and didn't leave until last night.  After it was all said it done, we got 3 inches of rain this week which means it will be a few more days until the combine is back in the fields.  

The bright side of the cold, windy, rainy weather we had this week is that today was an absolutely beautiful fall day and tomorrow looks like it will be the same.  For me, I'm hoping this is a sign that harvest will be back on track soon.  Additionally, I'm taking this sign a little farther.

My Aunt S who was diagnosed with leukemia earlier this summer had a bone marrow transplant 4 weeks ago.  She came home from the hospital a week and a half ago which was well ahead of schedule and all appeared to be going well until this week.  Wednesday night she was readmitted to the hospital with some side effects that the doctors are still trying to diagnose.  When she was admitted on Wednesday, the prognosis looked potentially grim, but it is starting to sound a little better today.  We are still waiting on all the test results and only time will tell, but I'm taking today's beautiful weather as a sign that she is going to be OK.  So I'm asking for all of your prayers and thoughts for my Aunt S as that's really all I can do as it is out of my control.  

Farmer Fridays - Big Sissy's view from the combine

When Big Sissy went for a combine ride the other day, she asked if she could take my camera so she could share her view from the combine with all of you.  (I don't know if it is good or bad that she has taken an interest in my blogging, but I'm going with good for now.)  

During Big Sissy's combine ride, we were cutting soybeans.  As you know, we raise soybeans on our family farm in addition to corn, wheat, and pigs.  We sell all of our soybeans to a local soybean processing plant.  We then buy soybean meal from this plant made from our soybeans and those of other local farmers to feed our pigs along with corn raised on our family farm and other essential nutrients.  

So with no further ado, here is Big Sissy's view (with her own commentary):

Here comes Pop Pop to pick me up

The soybeans coming out of the combine's auger to fill the truck

The soybean field

Pop Pop using GPS auto steer technology to cut soybeans without actually having to steer the combine himself (unbelievable, right?)

The combine cutting the soybeans

The soybeans in the combine's holding tank waiting to be unloaded into the truck

I hope you enjoyed Big Sissy's view.

Farmer Fridays - What do we feed our pigs

In case you didn't know, October is National Pork month.  As a pig farmer, we love pigs and pork so it is always fun to celebrate them.

During the month of October, my Farmer Fridays will focus on different aspects of our family pig farm and how we raise our pigs so that we can produce healthy, nutritious, and safe pork for my family and yours to eat.

Today I'd like to focus on the diets of our pigs and what we feed them...

Farmer Fridays - As much family time as possible

I've said it before, but one of the best things of being a part of a family farm is spending time with the family.  There are definitely better days than others, but the fact that my husband works with his parents every day and our kids see their parents and grandparents almost every day is awesome.

Now that being said, planting and harvest season are two times of the year that quality family time comes at a premium.  The 2011 harvest season is still a few weeks away, but this pigpen is going to be using this weekend as our opportunity to catch up on family time before harvest starts.

In addition to taking care of our pigs and working on some maintenance issues on the farm that we would like to be taken care of prior to harvest, we actually have some big plans for this weekend.

Tonight, The Farmer, his parents, Big Sissy, Bubby, Little Sissy, and I are headed to the Indianapolis Indians game complete with fireworks after the game.  Now I must admit the current temperatures and heat advisory are not making tonight's festivities sound like the best idea, but I know we will have lots of fun.

Tomorrow night, The Farmer, his parents, and I are headed to Rib America.  We have talked about going to this event for the past several years, but have never made it.  Well if all goes as planned, tomorrow will be the night even if Mother Nature has her own agenda with almost record high temperatures predicted with a chance of thunderstorms.

Truthfully though ... what is new.  We make our livelihoods by the grace of God and Mother Nature so why should this weekend be any different even if we are talking about our usually non-existent social calendars and the forecast does look good for our family cookout on Monday so I won't complain.

What do you have planned for this weekend?