Tag Archive for: Farming

Changing Seasons

The long hours of fall harvest for many farmers is over for another year.  Yet, in many Amish fields around here, one can still find corn shocks standing – even after the beginning of a new year.  In fact, the shocks may seem to look out of place with the snow on the ground.  However, they are often left to dry out further before being ground into livestock feed.

Looking at this picture, my mind goes to thoughts of both fall and winter. As I think about this, I’m reminded that there’s a season for everything. In fact, the events and experiences of our lives are often broken up into short segments of time.

These periods overlap as we make transitions throughout life. The combinations of these various seasons may resemble a patchwork quilt.

All of the different experiences and events from our lives helps to define who we are and impacts how we react to different situations. In many instances, these various seasons don’t just affect us, but also others with whom we come into contact.

Nature often has a way of pointing out life lessons.  These corn shocks in a winter field offer another opportunity to reflect on the seasons of life.

Have a great day!  🙂

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”  –  Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

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The Unhitched Disk

Driving by a field where corn had recently been picked, I found this disk. It was waiting for a team of horses to pull it back and forth across the field.

Sitting there, that disk was a reminder of a couple of truths.

First, there’s a season for everything. Just as there are times to plant and harvest crops, each of us experience seasons – such as when we go to school, work and have families. Inside of these years, are smaller seasons when we’re blessed with different opportunities – things that we may only get a brief chance to experience.

The other truth that emerges from this picture is that most things in life – at least those things that really matter, don’t always come easily. We may have to sow and nurture our opportunities and dreams to see them come to fruition. In the end though, the final outcome isn’t based on just us. While we have a responsibility to work with all of our hearts, God has the final say – knowing what we need to draw us closer to Him.

Even in those quiet moments like we see here, there are still things happening behind the scenes. Sometimes we just have to work at quieting our lives so that we can hear the voice of our Creator more clearly.

Have a great day! 🙂

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After the Harvest


I found this corn picker and gravity wagon standing in a recently picked field. Older farm equipment like these pieces are common on many small farms near where I live. This set belongs to an Amish farmer, hence the steel spoke wheels.

These pieces are a throwback to an earlier time. They stand in contrast to the large, modern combines and grain carts that are found on many larger farms today.

This corn picker and wagon brings back a couple of memories for me.

When I was growing up, some English (non-Amish) neighbors had tractor-pulled equipment like this. I loved watching as they would pick corn each fall.

I also recall when Dad would draw pictures for me when I was a young child. On several occasions as he was taking message notes at a Sunday evening church service, he would also draw farm scenes for me – to keep my adolescent self quiet. Those pictures often involved barns, tractors and equipment like these pieces.

In many ways, farming has changed over the years. But for many of us, the sight of equipment – whether vintage or modern, brings back wonderful childhood memories.

Have a great day! 🙂

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Contour Guidance

It may be a little hard to tell, but part of this field is being farmed using the contour method. You can see the one row going off in the middle of the picture. Another row follows along the tree line along the right side of the picture.

Here in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Ohio, contour farming is common. Unlike flat land where all of a field can be cultivated, farmland on the side of a hill has to be done like this. It helps to control and prevent water runoff – allowing the crops to get much needed moisture to grow. This type of hillside farming also minimizes erosion from plowed fields.

This picture is also a great image of how our Creator sometimes guides you and me. If we didn’t have His guidance to help us navigate the ebbs and flows of life, how would you and I survive?

As another growing season takes place, these fields allow us a unique glimpse into how the Father takes care of each person.

Have a great day!

(Please follow us on Facebook at “The Rural Journal” and online at www.theruraljournal.com. This was first published at www.theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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What Are You Picking?

I captured this picture a few years ago. This Amish farmer is seen picking corn with a pull-behind corn picker.

A lot of work goes into a crop before it gets to harvest. There’s the initial time invested in fieldwork and planting. Afterwards, comes countless hours cultivating and tending the new crop to help it reach its greatest potential.

Of course, lots of hard work and care doesn’t ensure that a crop will turn out well. Weather, insects and other variables can wreak havoc on plants.

Ultimately, the success of a crop is in the hands of the Creator. Yet, He desires the farmer to work with Him.

It’s through that joint endeavor that we learn more about His character and care for us.

As we begin a new year, we will face many opportunities. Some things will succeed, while others won’t.

In the end, the outcome of the harvest depends on God. Let’s make sure that we make the most out of where He plants and leads us!

Have a great day! 😀

(Please follow us on Facebook at “The Rural Journal” and online at www.theruraljournal.com. This was first published at www.theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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A Rural Blessing

Thanksgiving is a time when we remember our blessings. One of the traditional images that many of us have seen is that of cornucopias – filled with the fruits of a successful growing season. By the time that the holiday is held on the fourth Thursday of November, many farmers are done harvesting their crops.

This corncrib full of ears reminds me of a bountiful harvest. It means that livestock will have feed to eat during the upcoming winter.

As I look at this picture, I’m also reminded of how God provides for us. We don’t always readily see His provisions. Yet, God’s blessings are new every morning. You and I can be sure that He will always provide and work things out for our good.

On this day, let’s reflect on all that we have to be thankful for. As we do so, let us also look for ways to share God’s blessings with those in need.

Have a great day! 😀

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” – Psalm 118:1 (NIV)

(Please follow us on Facebook at “The Rural Journal” and online at www.theruraljournal.com. This was first published at www.theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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Unity Bales

I made a delivery to a local farm when I saw these hay bales in red, white and blue netting. While I’m used to brown and green twine, this was new to me!

Baling gives farmers an efficient way to store and handle hay. However, when you cut bales loose, it can make a great mess – allowing stalks, leaves and dust to freely go in every direction.

When I saw these bales, I saw the colors that are incorporated into America’s flag. Like loose hay, each person is a different, unique individual. Yet, joined together, each man, woman and child allows their various gifts and personalities to come together for a common good.

This idea of national unity isn’t new to the United States. It’s been practiced by many nations throughout history. In fact, this principle has Biblical roots.

We live in a day when many people want to separate and pull us apart like loose hay. It’s only when you and I join together that we become better at handling the challenges that lie before us.

Have a great day!😀

(This was first published at theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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The Tranquility of an Old Dirt Road

A few miles from here, sits a farm that my wife and I like to drive by.  The house, barn and outbuildings are separated from the gravel road by a pasture with a small creek winding through it.  With some beef cattle or sheep often grazing there, it’s a tranquil setting where we often appreciate slowing down to enjoy the view.

When I see this farm, I’m reminded of a feature in a rural magazine that I used to receive that was called “The Prettiest Place in the Country”.

This farm, I’m sure, would be a contender for that article.  Its owners have spent countless hours transforming a small farmstead into a beautiful oasis.

Each season finds the house and landscape decorated for that particular time of the year.  Beautiful flowers and landscaping highlight the fences and house during the spring and summer.  In the fall, with the colors of the surrounding trees and green of the nearby hills, the white painted farmhouse and springhouse, along with the red barn and outbuildings stand out as they add to the muted colors of autumn.

We live in a world where the ability to multi-task is often seen as something that’s considered to be virtue-like.  But, were we really created to always run at whirlwind speed?  I seriously doubt it.

In a world that seems to be increasingly marked by hustle and bustle, we need to find time to unwind – perhaps, more often than we think.  Old dirt roads, sheltered by shade trees and winding past quiet meadows and beautiful farms, are among those places that I find restful – perhaps, almost therapeutic.

Slowing down and enjoying the scenery allows us opportunities to allow our minds to wander.  A drive in the country may allow us some much-needed peaceful, restful time away with family or friends.  It’s also in these moments that we are able to enjoy the beauty of creation – and have time to enjoy fellowship with our Creator, which is the primary reason why we’ve been placed here.

Reflecting on this farm and the little roads that lead to it, I’m reminded that life isn’t just about successes or reaching milestones and destinations.  Sometimes, the real joy and success is found in the journey.

Although we can’t slow down the world around us, you and I have the ability to alter the speed of our own lives.  Let’s make the most of this time that we’ve got – and enjoy the journey.

Have a great day! 🙂

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.”  –  Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

(This was first published at theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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An Old Barn Under a Summer Sky

I found this barn on a small dead-end road. While the structure is still in use, the paint and roof show signs that it has seen better days.

As I took the picture, I noticed how the summer sky illuminated the old building. It brought a new dimension to the scene – bringing a sense of life to the old barn.

One could almost imagine hay being brought in from the fields. Perhaps, laughter can be heard from children playing in the hay. Or, a young calf or colt is taking its first steps in the lower level.

Buildings are like people. While we often look at the outer appearance, there’s so much beauty and life laying beneath the surface. This barn, on that beautiful summer day is evidence to this.

Have a great day! 😀

(This was first published at theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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Just In “Case”

I made a delivery to this Amish farm. Before leaving, I had decided to get a picture of this old Case tractor. It didn’t wear the green and yellow implement colors that I love, but the unique setting had a vintage feel – like it should have been seventy or eighty years ago.

Some may wonder why a tractor would be on an Amish farm. While those farmers are often only allowed to use horses in the fields, many are able to use tractors for stationary power or to pull wagons and trailers on local roadways. In “Case” you missed it, this picture shows a belt linking the tractor to a pump that is out of sight.

Looking at this photo, I’m reminded of how many details we often don’t notice. There’s so much that we miss as we hurry through life. Perhaps though, the thing that most often suffers are our relationships with God, our families and friends.

Every generation has its own issues and trials. Yet, this tractor was built before all of our modern conveniences and distractions. It’s a testament to simpler times – and, the values that our minds fix to that era.

Have a great day! 🙂

(This was first published at theroadreport.wordpress.com.)

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