The American Farmer…Today
I know them.
Individuals, couples, teams.
I watch them, study them
with fascination and respect
Indeed there are rich soils
that mother them, father them
Sustain them,
keep them going
Most of them
just do their jobs
quietly, not in the newspapers
and not on tv
But
The teams they create
the contributions that are made
are truly amazing
Food is taken for granted here
the luxuries of meat prevail
beef, pork, chicken and turkey
fill grocery coolers…always
taken for granted
One farmer feeds himself or herself
and sets free 152 others
to use their gifts, find their niches
mostly in our cities
Nearly every local farmer
has a mate for life
together they are teams
side by side at church and meetings
side by side along life’s highways
In and out the driveways
salespersons of every ilk come and go
some delivering fuel, machinery, plant foods and more
I count some 80 team mates and more
lawyers, doctors, nurses
technicians of every sort
educators, past and continuing
I can see all their faces
Individuals, couples, teams.
I watch them, study them
with fascination and respect
Indeed there are rich soils
that mother them, father them
Sustain them,
keep them going
Most of them
just do their jobs
quietly, not in the newspapers
and not on tv
But
The teams they create
the contributions that are made
are truly amazing
Food is taken for granted here
the luxuries of meat prevail
beef, pork, chicken and turkey
fill grocery coolers…always
taken for granted
One farmer feeds himself or herself
and sets free 152 others
to use their gifts, find their niches
mostly in our cities
Nearly every local farmer
has a mate for life
together they are teams
side by side at church and meetings
side by side along life’s highways
In and out the driveways
salespersons of every ilk come and go
some delivering fuel, machinery, plant foods and more
I count some 80 team mates and more
lawyers, doctors, nurses
technicians of every sort
educators, past and continuing
I can see all their faces
Then there’s the neighbors
every team of them exceptional!
A farmer wears a lot of hats!
They volunteer, serve without pay
in a myriad of ways
making this whole thing tick
It starts and ends with the soil
Beginning with Adam, the rest of us are born
to study and work the soil, mother earth giving
Father earth stern with consequences
we grow our food for our seasons
then return to the soil
becoming a part of it
Haven’t we always been
aren’t we always now
a part of the soil
married in ways we are just now learning
The bacteria that live in us, that live in the soils
play their parts in living soil, in living beings
Yet we are more, as
we think and can learn
and ponder higher things
Creation constantly unfolds
revealing a Creator
From around the world
a stream of people come
to study us
Why do we have abundance
while so many live hungry?
The American farmer
lives the answers.
Come watch with me….
Lin, post harvest, 2014
every team of them exceptional!
A farmer wears a lot of hats!
They volunteer, serve without pay
in a myriad of ways
making this whole thing tick
It starts and ends with the soil
Beginning with Adam, the rest of us are born
to study and work the soil, mother earth giving
Father earth stern with consequences
we grow our food for our seasons
then return to the soil
becoming a part of it
Haven’t we always been
aren’t we always now
a part of the soil
married in ways we are just now learning
The bacteria that live in us, that live in the soils
play their parts in living soil, in living beings
Yet we are more, as
we think and can learn
and ponder higher things
Creation constantly unfolds
revealing a Creator
From around the world
a stream of people come
to study us
Why do we have abundance
while so many live hungry?
The American farmer
lives the answers.
Come watch with me….
Lin, post harvest, 2014
Friends
More than a brother and a sister
they come to share
burdens and joys
and their hands
They lift and carry
cook and drive
working with us side by side
Two by fours
Building
with those basic parts
something more, better, more quickly
This week two million pounds of corn
harvested, transported
Early morning coffee, breakfast
lunches brought to the fields
dinners late together
around the family table
they come to share
burdens and joys
and their hands
They lift and carry
cook and drive
working with us side by side
Two by fours
Building
with those basic parts
something more, better, more quickly
This week two million pounds of corn
harvested, transported
Early morning coffee, breakfast
lunches brought to the fields
dinners late together
around the family table
Ah, it can be good,
when friends work together
two twos becoming four
Well done!
Congratulations!
You did it!
Enjoy the rain rest!
Lin, Harvest 2014, Lin and Kay, Bruce and Linda
when friends work together
two twos becoming four
Well done!
Congratulations!
You did it!
Enjoy the rain rest!
Lin, Harvest 2014, Lin and Kay, Bruce and Linda
At Ease
Welcome words
to the soldier standing in line
He showed up early, early, early, for formation
Drill Instructor fudged for early
Shavetail lieutenant fudged for early
and our recruit was being cautious!
So there he was
standing in formation
spit spot all shined
waiting, waiting, waiting
Company, TEN HUT!!!
Inspection
Eyes forward, don’t move!
“Sir! Yes Sir!”
Finally, “Company! At Ease!
Breathe.
Springtime, early morning dark
farmers are stirring
birds are chirping pre dawn
Out of bed, out the house,
shed doors roll open
Engines come to life
deep toned diesels throbbing
almost like horses pawing, anxious
for inspection
Put ‘er in gear
pull back on the throttle
Roll, baby roll!
The smell of fresh stirred earth
the sun warming the soil
seeds dropping into soft, moist sanctuary
Back and forth, fill the planter
back and forth all day
Sun going down
lights on
back and forth
to the soldier standing in line
He showed up early, early, early, for formation
Drill Instructor fudged for early
Shavetail lieutenant fudged for early
and our recruit was being cautious!
So there he was
standing in formation
spit spot all shined
waiting, waiting, waiting
Company, TEN HUT!!!
Inspection
Eyes forward, don’t move!
“Sir! Yes Sir!”
Finally, “Company! At Ease!
Breathe.
Springtime, early morning dark
farmers are stirring
birds are chirping pre dawn
Out of bed, out the house,
shed doors roll open
Engines come to life
deep toned diesels throbbing
almost like horses pawing, anxious
for inspection
Put ‘er in gear
pull back on the throttle
Roll, baby roll!
The smell of fresh stirred earth
the sun warming the soil
seeds dropping into soft, moist sanctuary
Back and forth, fill the planter
back and forth all day
Sun going down
lights on
back and forth
Seeds sprout quickly
shoots poke through the surface
like swimmers bursting from the deep
leaves unfold and stretch to the sun
growing like crazy, happy
A giant switch somewhere
stops the growth, cries ‘It’s finished”
and a crop is ready for harvest
Once again, early morning
farmers hit the roads
fields offer up their bounty
grain pours into harvesters
into trucks
into trains
into ships
and then
“At Ease” comes to the fields
and to the farmers
Corn stubble, bean stubble
stand like sharpened sticks
with carpeting of leaves comforting the soil
The farmer and his fields settle down
a farm cat snuggles its nose into his arm
in the home, a little one tucks her soft face
into her daddy’s neck
mama smiles, knowing
All is well, all is well….
Lin, at ease, post harvest 2014
shoots poke through the surface
like swimmers bursting from the deep
leaves unfold and stretch to the sun
growing like crazy, happy
A giant switch somewhere
stops the growth, cries ‘It’s finished”
and a crop is ready for harvest
Once again, early morning
farmers hit the roads
fields offer up their bounty
grain pours into harvesters
into trucks
into trains
into ships
and then
“At Ease” comes to the fields
and to the farmers
Corn stubble, bean stubble
stand like sharpened sticks
with carpeting of leaves comforting the soil
The farmer and his fields settle down
a farm cat snuggles its nose into his arm
in the home, a little one tucks her soft face
into her daddy’s neck
mama smiles, knowing
All is well, all is well….
Lin, at ease, post harvest 2014
October 2012
“Where has October gone”?
asked a friend in agriculture.
“It’s been graced with sprinkles,
laced with showers again and again.
Cold weather, warm weather,
hurry then wait
while crops and soils dry out.”
asked a friend in agriculture.
“It’s been graced with sprinkles,
laced with showers again and again.
Cold weather, warm weather,
hurry then wait
while crops and soils dry out.”
The raindrops bind the harvesters
keeping them in their pens
their masters under roofs
Desk work and meetings often the fare
when normally they’d be in the fields
But even with the interruptions
some farmers are ‘getting done’.
Translated that means harvest completed,
as a farmer’s work
like that of a homemaker
is never done!
They just move on to the next task!
Seasons blending into years
for crops and people alike.
Individual initiative is inspiring
as the farmers roll with the punches:
combining soybeans in a pond!
Our new machines with giant tires
can smooth across the soil
so different from long ago.
December 7, 1941
Dad and grandpa were harvesting soybeans
or trying their best to!
A tractor pulled a combine
both were getting stuck
so another tractor and a chain hooked on
all wheels churning, struggling on.
December 1966
Step dad and I and a new combine
self propelled now, no tractor pulling,
would get stuck, back out, and try again
a different spot
Mercy! What ruts the wheels dug out!
Dad and grandpa were harvesting soybeans
or trying their best to!
A tractor pulled a combine
both were getting stuck
so another tractor and a chain hooked on
all wheels churning, struggling on.
December 1966
Step dad and I and a new combine
self propelled now, no tractor pulling,
would get stuck, back out, and try again
a different spot
Mercy! What ruts the wheels dug out!
October 2012
Smooth purring giant combines
sailed along on wet soils
even going through some water
no stopping, charging on
to harvest complete!
Wonderful machines!
Great progress!
The weather’s still a challenge,
but we are gaining!
We are gaining!
Designers and engineers,
factory workers and local dealers
an economy that makes it work
with the farmers, all in harmony,
doing it better…every year!
Selah, Lin 2012
Sunday on Monday
Agreed we can’t live on and in the Sabbath!
Sunday is a special day, for certain sure,
with soaking in Words of the ages
wisdom for all ages
and remembrance, precious,
of one who died for us, for me
So we come to Monday!
How can we have a bit, still, of Sunday,
as we trudge through the week.
Nasty deeds, nasty words
swirl around us
sometimes become the slangs and arrows
that injure us, hurt us.
Brothers and sisters can help us
maybe it’s at breakfast,
when a brother asks:
“Would you pray?”
and the food gets blessed
and so do we
so do I
Sunday is a special day, for certain sure,
with soaking in Words of the ages
wisdom for all ages
and remembrance, precious,
of one who died for us, for me
So we come to Monday!
How can we have a bit, still, of Sunday,
as we trudge through the week.
Nasty deeds, nasty words
swirl around us
sometimes become the slangs and arrows
that injure us, hurt us.
Brothers and sisters can help us
maybe it’s at breakfast,
when a brother asks:
“Would you pray?”
and the food gets blessed
and so do we
so do I
Both arrows and comforts fly
and we ourselves can send them
A smile of thanks
a pause, a look,
a timely word
can help us on our way
Monday and every day
we’re built that way
So the Wise One spoke
teaching his fellows (and us)
to pray in this manner,
recognizing who we are
and who He is
and He was here, in the beginning
creating the world from chaos
Selah, Wednesday, day after election, November 2014
and we ourselves can send them
A smile of thanks
a pause, a look,
a timely word
can help us on our way
Monday and every day
we’re built that way
So the Wise One spoke
teaching his fellows (and us)
to pray in this manner,
recognizing who we are
and who He is
and He was here, in the beginning
creating the world from chaos
Selah, Wednesday, day after election, November 2014
Fixed Right
Sometimes things don’t work
presenting a great adventure!
Jump on the problem!
Be a grizzly bear!
make it right right now!
Sometimes that doesn’t work!
Try, and try again
and still it’s just not right
and you know it
On the phone again
and again
try this, try that
think
Along comes a fella
a thinker type
He studies the problem
reads the problem
Gets inside it, with fresh eyes
‘I think it’s ______,” says he.
Order parts, wait.
Parts come in, put ’em on.
Voila!
presenting a great adventure!
Jump on the problem!
Be a grizzly bear!
make it right right now!
Sometimes that doesn’t work!
Try, and try again
and still it’s just not right
and you know it
On the phone again
and again
try this, try that
think
Along comes a fella
a thinker type
He studies the problem
reads the problem
Gets inside it, with fresh eyes
‘I think it’s ______,” says he.
Order parts, wait.
Parts come in, put ’em on.
Voila!
Fixed right!
What a bit of happiness!
Sail along freely
Machine humming, farmer humming
“Oh what a beautiful morning!”
On through the day
on into night
good lights shining brightly
neighbors out too
Ah, flashers galore going down the road
Somebody’s heading for the barn
Careful! Slow moving vehicle
Big, wide and long
Great to be a farmer! One more round towards victory! Lin
Selah, harvest, 2014