Harvest Time

It's hard to keep up an agriculture blog when you're living in a city of a million people. Although slightly devoid of inspiration, I am very much still here.

University is keeping me busy as it tends to do, but I'm finding time for a little fun here and there.

The farmers of Alberta are plugging away at harvest (so I hear), and since I can't be home to help out, I'll offer up a few favorite harvest tunes. Because as many of you know, good combine music makes a job go far faster.

Luke Bryan- Harvest Time

Did you know? Luke Bryan's dad was a peanut farmer and owned a fertilizer business in Leesburg, Georgia.

Craig Morgan- International Harvester 

Jason Aldean- Amarillo Sky

High Valley- On the Combine

FYI- The Rempel brothers that make up High Valley are farm boys from Northern Alberta. 

Now I want to go home to the farm. If you're on the combine these days, I'd love to know how harvest is going as well as a few of your favorite harvesting tunes.

Canadian Foodgrains Bank Harvest

Southern Alberta farmers were hard at work for charity today.

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of Canadian churches of 15 different denominations with the common goal to end world hunger. A lofty goal for a bunch of farmers and church-goers, but the bank has provided over 1,100,000 tonnes of food to hungry people since it's establishment in 1983.  

All the combines lined up ready to work.

I volunteered last year with my 4-H club to help park cars. This event is a big deal in our community. My guess is somewhere around 250 people that came to see the harvest today. My job this year was handing out free doughnuts and juice on behalf of the agriculture company I work for. We had no trouble getting rid of 22 dozen doughnuts.

Rolling up to join the party.

The quarter section was owned by a local farmer and rented out to the project.

Heading out to the field.

I'll have you know that representatives from the John Deere, Case, and Cat families were present. We're non-discriminatory over here. Even though I'm a fan of the green, personally.

Combines doing their thing.

 My favorite sight may have been the one above, with all the combines working at once.

Go to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank website to learn more about the project. I hope you're all having a great harvest season.

Wordless Wednesday- Southern Alberta Crop Report

This is how things look in southern Alberta, Canada.

Crops grown in this area are primarily Hard Red Spring Wheat, Durum Wheat, Barley, and Canola. You'll also see Flax, Mustard, Beans, Corn, Potatoes, and a few others.

Flax

Canola

Canola

Canola

Wheat

Irrigation Canal

Wheat

Sorghum

Rain clouds!

Have you thanked a farmer lately?

The first 18 years of my life have been spent on our cattle ranch and crop farm. My Dad’s family took the management role of the cattle and my Uncle and his son focus primarily on the crops- that’s how it has been for as long as I can remember. That’s not to say that my cousin won’t help vaccinate cattle or my sisters and I haven’t donated countless hours to baling and harrowing. It’s a family business.



Photo credit

 Since I’ve started working with agricultural insurance, I’ve been dealing a lot with the farming side. It’s opened my eyes to how hard-working and diligent farmers like my Uncle have to be to get the best crop possible each year. The paperwork is extensive to ensure the farmer will be covered if any natural cause decreases the quality or yield of their crop. Farmers have to be smart about what they insure, just like when you choose what level of car insurance you want. You decide whether or not to get collision insurance on your car for a higher premium, just as a farmer has to decide if hail coverage would be worth the price.

Here's what I've come to realize in the last few weeks- farmers deserve a whole lot more credit than they're getting. And this is coming from someone who has lived on a farm her entire life without completely grasping this. Of course farming isn't glorified; it's a dirty, labour-intensive, low-return type of career. There's a reason less than 2% of the Canadian population has stepped up and chosen farming as their life's work. It takes  certain type of person to work 16 hour days, operate 10 different kinds of macinery on a regular basis, and have the knowledge and skill to run a financially sound business and make the best decisions for it.

So here's my challenge to you. Next time you see your neighbor, friend, family member, or even parent who is a farmer- say thank you. Thanks for feeding the world and dedicating each day of your life to this cause. Believe me, they don't hear it nearly enough.



I'm a big fan of this bumper sticker, found here