How you know its farming season again.....regardless if you're a farm wife or farm husband!

Yes, as many of you may have noticed from those large pieces of machinery driving around out in the fields that the spring farming season called "planting" (genius i know!) is finally underway!  Which is then quickly followed by wheat harvest and baling of hay and straw and before you know it fall harvest is just around the corner (here in the Midwest anyway).  I noticed by many in my news feed that the infamous comments such as "planting season makes me a single mom/lady again" or the "you can never plan anything due to farming" statements began to roll.

I don't know if it is feminist in me that is secretly trying to come out but the whole time I read those all I can think is....no, no, no, no, no!  Now grated this may be the case for many but I don't believe that it is "majority" anymore.  I have the opportunity to work with many farms of many sizes and different production types so I feel I get to see quite a bit of diversity.  Any more I see women becoming equal partners in the operation and having just as much responsibility; such as she plants the soybeans and he plant the corn, she is in charge of irrigation pivots while he sprays.   I also run into women that are the ones working at/operating farms while the husband works in town.

So while their are many lists out there of how you know you're a "farm wife" and planting season has started I decided to create my own list of how you know it is farming season again......regardless if you are the "farm wife" or "farm husband".  Mostly because I just don't seem to relate to many of the other lists. So here is my list of how I can tell that farming season has begun:


1. The laundry piles up.   When you leave early and get home late you find yourself washing the essentials such as socks underwear and jeans.  Yes this is a shared duty in my household so whoever notices the dirty jean pile first normally throws in a load into the washer.

2. Dinner is many times subway or pizza or whatever can be made and eaten in a slightly quick manner because falling into a nice slumber is slightly more important than consuming nutrients.  And yes this is a shared roll in the home as well......for instance the husband had burgers and steak grilled when I got home last night.  (you know he's a keeper when he grills you beef!)

3. You CAN in fact RSVP to things but you may be going alone.  We try to make sure that at least one of us attends the important things.  So if there is a wedding and the husband is super busy I have no issue going alone or with a friend.  When you come from a small town any large gathering is really just like going to see family.  Vice versa also.....if I'm working or away the husband is not afraid to go and make a presence.

4. When it rains and you turn on the TV to catch up on all your shows you started to watch on a regular basis over the winter you quickly realize your DVR is to capacity because you have had no time to watch the episodes.

5. You notice the amazing aroma of freshly turned dirt.  It is hard to explain but the smells of rural America are bar none the best!  I can't get enough of the smell of dirt or freshly cut hay.....if only we could bottle that stuff!!!

Those are just a few and I'm sure that many of you could add to the list!  Whether you are finishing up or just getting started with planting I hope you all have a safe start and a plentiful crop!!

Enjoy!