What is the harvest? Of this I know all too well, and I am no farmer. I am a woman, a wife, a mom, a daughter, a friend, an introspective introvert, and most importantly a follower of the greatest Cultivator of life.
As for my earthly father, he is a custom harvester. A what? Is that a thing? Many people have no idea what that is or that it even exists. The farmer does all of the work to get that food on your table, right? For years I have explained my upbringing to almost all who have come to know me, and for many it was, and continues to be, a foreign concept. I grew up leaving my home every summer to travel an imaginary trail known as the harvest. You see, crops ripen in a pattern according to their location. The warmer climates, in our case southern California and then Texas, ripen first. As the summer progresses the route moves north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and ends in big sky Montana. My family (my parents and four daughters), along with a crew of workers, would load up semi trucks, combines, headers, tractors, grain carts, and, of course, the trailer houses that we would live in for the summer and follow that trail to reap what was sown. If you are unfamiliar with what these things are take a look at some of my pictures (courtesy of my parents and many of their employees who are captivated by the harvest). It is an amazing thing. AMAZING.
My parents, for now 40 plus years, continue this endeavor. My dad is hired by the farmer to harvest the crops at the peak of their readiness. If brought in too soon the crop may seem bitter or tough and can even ruin all of the harvest if stored together before it has dried out to perfection. If left too long there is a fear that the crop could be destroyed by the many forces of nature. You must beat the storms, the bugs, and the natural decay of the crop itself. It is a war of time, but it is beautiful.
Thus the title of my blog. This harvest has infiltrated every part of my life, even as it has long been gone from my own summer routine. I can’t help but see the harvest all around me. It is in the things I feed my mind and my body. It is in my investment in my husband, my kids, and the others around me who I love. I reap what I sow. It is a craft that begins with the cultivation of the soil and the planting of the tiniest seed but cannot itself offer any benefit to life without the harvest.
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One of the best experiences I had in my life working for keimig harvesting
I am also the daughter of a harvester. I followed the harvest trail from Oklahoma to Montana from 1968-1984. My “vagabond” life changed when I married a wheat farmer from Oklahoma. However, my parents came to cut our wheat until 2001 so I still had a 7-10 day harvest experience while running equipment for my dad, harvesting our crop. Up until a year ago we still hired a harvest crew. Now with older sons we purchased several older model combines so I’m back to being a combine operator during harvest. Great way of life.