Saturday, February 28, 2009

PHOTO HUNT SATURDAY: Thankful

THANKFUL: FOR THE CROP FARMER WHO PLANS, SOWS, CULTIVATES, WORRIES, PRAYS, FINDS PARTS, FIXES BROKEN EQUIPMENT, PLANTS, CULTIVATES, SPRAYS, PRAYS SOME MORE AND REAPS THE HARVEST. AND HE BEGINS PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR BEFORE HE PUTS THE CORN HEAD ON THE COMBINE; NO MATTER HOW BAD THE MARKETS OR THE PRICE OF FUEL. A FARMER MUST CONSTANTLY MUST DO ALL HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO GET THAT CROP IN--IN SPITE OF THE WEATHER, THE GOVERNMENT, AND PESKY NEIGHBORS WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DUST OR THE SMELL--OR ABOUT THE MUD FROM THEIR TIRES MAKING A MESS IN THE ROAD?


The word thankful always draws the picture to mind of harvest, and I would like to say that I am personally thankful for the hard-working farm families who make possible this land of plenty. Farming is a thankless job sometimes for many reasons but when you live out in the fields...
and are able watch close up the long, long hours the men are in the fields, what a couple hours of bad weather can do to a crop that's been maturing for a couple of months, those seasons of unceasing labor: spring, summer, and fall: I can say that I'm thankful there are families whose men choose with loving hearts to carry on the family tradition, in spite of the gamble they take.

I am also thankful for their support system: their families, especially the wives, who help with the planting, worrying and praying, cultivating, and the harvest with meals taken to the field, running the grain trucks to and from the fields and to and from the grain elevators...all the many, many things they do and sacrifices of free time to help their men with this important job.

Where would we be without the farmer?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are so right. What a great reminder.....

English Cottage in Georgia said...

Wonderful post! To use a portion of a Churchill quote "...so much owed by so many to so few"
Thanks for the beautiful pics to go with your gentle reminder.

Anonymous said...

This is a great contribution to today's PhotoHunt. I worked on farms when I was in high school and my ex-wife's father farmed until a couple of years before his death. I really appreciate what anyone who farms goes through to feed the rest of us.

A Romantic Porch said...

I am thankful too! so so thankful! xo rachel

debbie bailey said...

Amen to that!

Mama of 4 Blessings said...

Amen! This country began with farmers, where would we be without them? Great post:)
Gina Jo

Anonymous said...

Thanks for a great post. My husband is a dairy farmer and all we get is people complain and belly ache over the smell and dust and dirt on the road. I can't tell you how many times we want to stop farming. My husband is only 42 and works such long hours and he is aging fast. People have no clue what hard work farmers do for not much money.Have a wonderful night.elma2179@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Thanks for posting this. I will share it with my husband. No one ever pats him on the shoulder and says "good job, I appreciate you work." Farming has become a thankless job, all we ever hear is criticism. What a treat to read your post! Thanks Again!