Central KS,
Sept. 11, 2019. 11:28 a.m.
Tips and suggestions for how to help farm gals reduce stress during the harvest and summer seasons.
The Great Plains is in the thick of the corn harvest. We’re in the middle of a break between storms and the ground has finally dried off enough that farmers are pulling out the combines and grain carts.
You’ll see these massive beasts lumbering down the shoulders of the highways and taking over narrow, county backroads. In our case, the combine looks like a giant, yellow bee or hornet creeping along!
Finally, this is the season we’ve been waiting for! All year long, planting, fertilizing, spraying, and a variety of other jobs have led up to one thing: the harvest.
Some evenings, the guys might be on pins-and-needles, watching the radar and praying that red spot passes just around them. Other days, they’re out late, airing off the combine after a successful day of picking and filling a bin.
Throughout all of this though, it wouldn’t be possible without at least two things: 1) God blessing and protecting everyone and the crops, and 2) the ability of the whole family to work together as a well-oiled machine. Granted, there are a couple of us newcomers, but we’ve even managed to dig in and find a place for ourselves.
Sometimes it’s making sure we not only picked up the parts before heading to the field, but we also grabbed that Tupperware container full of cookies to share. Other times, it’s simply holding down a passenger seat and handing someone sandwiches as they drive. (Hello! Yes, hi! That’s my job!)
All in all, I’m finding there are certain things that make the harvest much more enjoyable. After gathering opinions and thoughts from the family, here are some things that have not only helped our crew have a smoother harvest, but might help yours too:
- Water jugs are constantly needing
refilled . Keep ice handy by having clean sour cream and cottage cheese containers filled with water and in the freezer. - Rugs are also needed and handy for rainy days. If someone needs to step into another room with dirty boots on, instead of unlacing them, just keep some plastic bags by the door for them to slip over their boots.
- Using diaper wipe containers, build a little first aid kit to keep in each tractor. Some things to include would be antibacterial wipes, bandaids, triple antibiotic ointment, tape, a pair of plastic gloves,
ear plugs , eye drops, aspirin, kleenex, plastic tweezers, etc. - Giant black plastic bags are handy to have in your car for when someone has grease on their jeans but needs a ride somewhere. Just slap them on the seat and if they ever get too nasty, no need to wash them, just toss ’em!
- Understand that a majority of the time, farmers are in a rush. Learn to roll with the punches and be flexible. Don’t plan too much during the harvest season, especially if it involves the guys.
- Focus on prioritizing what is really important or matters to you. Is it having a large garden? Keeping a clean(ish) house? Keeping up with the chores outside?
- Keep an eye on your fuel tank and if you’re close to town in the evenings, run in and top it off. This can save a lot of headaches when you don’t have to worry about hitting the empty mark before the end of the day!
- Download dependable weather/radar apps on your phone. Weather plays a huge role in farming and it’s something to stay on top of (as much as possible). Apps like FarmLogs can also be handy for things like keeping track of fields (and moisture on each field). If you’re new to things, you can even customize the name of each field and get directions right to it… One less phone call to an already-stressed person is a plus in my book!
- Avoid using too much technology. Social media can be a huge time waster. To get around that, consider deleting social media apps off your phone for this season if you find yourself not getting everything else you need to
finished . - Be open to talking things out, but don’t overcomplicate it. If it’s almost midnight and you’re having a heated discussion in the combine about why you need the front-loading washer rather than the upright, consider tabling it until the next day when you (hopefully) both have a few more hours of sleep under your belt.
- Plan meals ahead and use free time to do food prep. Not meal prep, but simply get ingredients ready to go! Brown and freeze hamburger, make hamburger patties and freeze between waxed paper, pre-bag chips or cookies, etc. Get things as close to ready-to-go as you can ahead of time.
- While some farmers might like to eat supper in the field, others may prefer to have one meal at home even if it is late at night. (This would be my hubby!) Make friends with your crockpot. You can use it to cook hamburger throughout the day (with a little water and possibly seasonings) or have a meal ready when you come in at night.
- Stock up on harvest-time staples before it comes: Pop, water, chips, tortillas, bread, fruit, summer sausage (quick snack), paper towels, plastic baggies, and so on.
- Keep a stash of pop and water in the fridge and ready to go. If you have a mini-fridge available, consider keeping some in the shop where they’re easy to grab.
- Designate a drawer in your home to be the “snack drawer”. Make it known that anything in it is fair game. Granola bars, crackers, protein bars, etc. are all handy things to have around.
If you have kiddos:
- When you just need five minutes of peace to finish lunch, get the kids around a table with brown paper lunch sacks and markers. Write the name of each person on the bags and then let them decorate away. It’ll keep them busy and be a fun little surprise for Dad!
- Keep a few favorite books or sturdy toys in the car. Make
them ones that always stay there and the kids will look forward to a little vehicle time. - Have a boredom-buster-bag hanging by the back door for you to grab on your way out. Keep some crayons, coloring/activity books, I SPY books, Rubix cubes, a sketchbook, and so on.
- During the harvest season or just summer in general, keep large sheets over your furniture. This way, if kids fall asleep while in the car (or just need a place to crash) you can carry them straight to the couch — dirt, worms, and all.
- Relax and nap when the kiddos nap. Your house does not need to be perfect. The laundry is clean, forget folding it right now. Take a 30
– minute nap and then you can get up and straighten a few things. If you’re going to have early mornings, long days, and late nights, you need to catch up on rest at some point! Better now than to crash later.
If you’re concerned things might be too stressful right now for your farmer and family, sometimes taking a step back might be the thing to do. Evaluate what’s going on. Find a close, trusted friend or family member that isn’t in the immedient situation to discuss options and just be open with.
A few key things to watch with those working long days outside include:
- Sleep – Keep an eye on how many hours of sleep everyone is getting. It might seem like something you can skip for a week or two, but in the long run, it will come back to bite you.
- Exercise – Riding in the combine all day can make your knees and legs hurt, and overall, you just need some fresh air! Make it a point to get out every few hours for at least 5 minutes, just to walk around, breathe deep, and say a prayer!
- Nutrition – While that bucket of cookies might seem awful tempting to clean out, opt for an apple or something healthier to keep your energy up. Even beef jerky or summer sausage will make you feel better than having a stomach full of sugar!
- Support – Take time to talk to your spouse or a trusted friend if you just need to debrief. Let stuff out that is irritating you! If they can’t offer advice, they can offer a listening ear!
- Family and Pets – Your kids and pets might be just that added dose of enthusiasm and joy you needed! Make an effort to see them at some point throughout the day and not only will you get love and encouragement, but you’ll give some as well.
Sometimes, we tend to continue a habit or attitude that allows stress to keep building up. It might sound easy to just throw out a careless “be positive” and walk away, but truly looking at things from a positive mindset and having a thankful attitude takes effort and can make such a difference! Keep things in perspective.
A few questions to ask yourself during stressful times include: Has this happened to us before? What did we do to survive it then? What else can we do? A year from now, how much effect will this really have?
Work to remove stress from your life by trying to set realistic goals and expectations. There are times to be pushing and going for all you’re worth. There are also other times when everyone needs a breather.
Make time for things outside of work and the farm. This is IMPORTANT. Not only will you come back more grateful for the farm God has blessed you with, but you might appreciate a change of pace or scenery for a bit.
Say a prayer and keep your chin up! Feel free to reach out to me via email at contact@prairiegalcookin.com or on social media if you need to chat or someone to pray with! <3
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