It is a wrap

It feels like we have been running against the wind these past few weeks trying to complete the harvest marathon. The fall season has lingered a bit longer than expected, creating opportunities and difficult decisions.

We have been extremely dry here in central Minnesota. It has been almost four months since we have had a rain total of more than an inch. The dry conditions and limited number of warm days left on the calendar have pushed us to pass on seeding some extra cover crops on our sandy soils. There just didn’t seem to be enough time or moisture. We could have turned on a pivot to kick-start the rye growth but the lines were already blown out for the coming winter season. The calendar said it was time. The weather had a different timeline. We didn’t need to pay that bill twice. So we had to punt on that idea for now.

The dry conditions have made it hard on the tillage equipment this fall, too. Recent sprinkles have helped to loosen the dry grip on the land so Mark could work down the corn stalks. Worked fields mark the end of a growing season, a job completed. It is like the final chapter in a long novel.

Breakfast conversations have been focusing on the shifting conditions and operational options with an extended fall season. Soil tests and corn test plots results have been studied, discussed and plans made for which fields need extra attention to be ready for another growing season. The biggest question is, “Is there enough time before the snow flies?”

With the extended fall season this year, we have been able to get a few more things checked off the to-do list. All the equipment had been stored away in the shed before we had to pull out the insulated coveralls and gloves. I was a bit surprised though when Mark came driving into the yard with the snowblower swinging in rhythm to the three-point hitch. Did I miss a weather forecast or was he daring Mother Nature? Neither. He just didn’t want it buried behind stored wagons to dig out later.  

Joelle and Austin have taken charge of my garden for the coming year. My little patch of dirt has never been a high priority for fall tillage work. To be honest, I never really ever had it completely cleaned out before the snow fell either. With the kids in charge, that is a completely different story. Austin expanded and worked up the garden so they could plant 2,000 cloves of garlic. By the beam of the truck headlights, they were able to get all the cloves planted and bedded down under a blanket of straw. Spring bulbs will also have to be buried before the snow flies as they expand their cut flower business.

As we wrap up another fall season, it pushes me to muddle through thoughts floating around in my mind. Your mind can’t help but wander as you drive around in circles going nowhere as stalks are chopped or soil is cut open with sharp chisels, occasionally disrupted by the discovery of a buried boulder just below the surface.   

It starts with a simple thought, “We grow crops, but we raise kids.” We provide both with all that they need to reach their potential. We (as farmers and parents) do not have absolute control over how things turn out, despite our best efforts. Fall is the time to review how the journey is going.

It is hard not to be overly critical of the decisions you’ve made. That is why they say hindsight is 20/20. You can only make the best decision at the time with the information at hand. A few extra prayers can’t hurt either.

If no one comes back to the dairy, have we failed as farm parents? Some may say a lack of expansion, diversity or business evolution is to blame. It is hard to sort through these negative thoughts, but I pause and think about the real focus. Our goal in life was to raise a family who laughed with and loved one another. We didn’t want to milk lots of cows. We did want to develop good cows who could provide for our family’s needs. We wanted our kids to find their own dreams and not feel they had to follow or finish our dreams. By these standards, I can say we are heading in the right direction. All are still involved in the dairy in their own unique way.

It’s not what you do that determines success. It’s who you are: faithful, committed, determined, compassionate, humble, honest. That is how success is measured.

The weather forecast this week says we have run out of time. The marathon is done. As the temperatures plummet to new low daily highs and the snow starts to swirl around our feet, we can finally put this growing season to bed and call it a wrap.

As their four children pursue dairy careers off the family farm, Natalie and Mark Schmitt started an adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota.