Laura Unearthed

Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you’ve said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”   Farming conversations conjure up a feeling of community amongst us because farm life lends to many common experiences.   While you didn’t live the exact same scenario that I lived with my dad, you lived a day with your dad that left the same feeling.   Even if you’re reading this without a farm background, you just might relate to the reminiscing in your own lifestyle, as well. Here’s to my dad, here’s to my husband, and here’s to all the great dads – farm and otherwise.   All of a farm kid’s favorite dad memories… see if these bring back any for you:   My favorite off-the-farm memory: in Germany with my dad at the church where my Great-great-great Grandparents were married.  "We all carry inside us, people who came before us." - Liam Callahan 1)     The first time h...

Harvest is growing long these days. It’s been a good harvest.   However, there’s nothing more disheartening than watching the yield monitor register some of the best corn you’ve ever had, only to suddenly drop by 100 or more bushels an acre. If corn is selling for approximately $4 per bushel, simple math tells us that equates to $400 an acre.   What’s causing this loss? Wet holes. The flat creek bottom where we’ve raised our best corn is littered with low spots where water collects.   Even though we know corn needs water to thrive, too much, in this case, water pooled in low lying areas, stunted our corn yield by over half.   The areas with lighter colored corn are in wet spots.  Corn standing in water or wetter soil is stunted in growth because the water fills the spaces in the soil, and the roots cannot receive oxygen.  This severely limits yields at the end of the season. Plus, the water runs off the field haphazardly causing erod...

In these parts, we’re currently experiencing the regional holiday known as: fair time.   It really might be better than Christmas because we see all of the people we care about and eat great food that we don’t have to cook.  Loving on her cousins' show cattle... just like her big cousin did with mine when she was little. :) This week is the lull between our district fair and the county fair to our north.   I could write pages about all of aspects I’ve looooooved about these fairs over the years: cool fall mornings, steam rolling off of a heifer’s back at the wash rack, hanging out with your “family” all week.   Although, I’m not sure if I could put into words the joy of watching my sweet daughters begin to fall in love the same traditions.   Which is good because that’s not what this post is about… My farmer and I both enjoyed several years as livestock exhibitors.   We love chatting about sharing this tradition with our daughters when they are ol...

Our farm baby loves one Saturday morning show about a chicken puppet in a costume shop.   Snuggling my girl, watching that show, a roar shook the windows one morning. No cause for alarm… we occasionally see a military plane fly over.   … … … rrrrRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRrrrrr… … … … rrrrRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRrrrrr… … … … … … rrrrRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRrrrrr… … … … rrrrRRRRROOOOOAAAAARRRrrrrr… … … It takes a lot to elicit a reaction from me.   I may be the compassionate, bleeding-heart type personality; however, dramatic I am not.   After the fifth pass, I grew curious.   After the sixth or seventh, I batted away scary scenarios rolling through my mind.   After the tenth, I finally unwound the toddler and got up to look out the window. Here’s my view.   My immediate reaction: How cool!   We live and farm in a mix of hills and creek bottoms.   Unlike our friends to the south, we don’t often see a crop duster.   What a treat! Almos...