On the Farm This Week - Planting In Full Swing

It has been a busy week on the farm. We laid an additional 50 acres of plastic and drip tape for our late crop of watermelons. This entailed breaking the land, applying fertilizer, and actually laying the plastic and drip. It has been so dry that we were almost working in nothing but dust. Luckily we can wet the beds under the plastic with the drip.

Spring planting has also been in full swing this week, other than the days we had to work on watermelon land. I plant the peanuts, and my brother Jon plants the cotton. Daddy keeps the sprayer going, and there's always lots of spraying to do. We spray the peanuts and the cotton between planting and emergence, so there is a timing factor involved. We also sprayed an application of herbicide on our oldest cotton.

Although we have had 7 days out of the last 14 with a 50% or greater chance of rain, the showers have been light and scattered, with hardly any beneficial rainfall on any of our farms. That changed last night. A large portion of our land received from 1 - 2 inches, and we are truly grateful. This will allow us to continue planting and achieve good plant stands.

Over the next week, we will continue planting and spraying. Barring the unexpected, by this time next week I should be almost finished peanut planting. Christy, my wife, will oversee the last transplanting of watermelons on the plastic we just laid.

Have a great day!

Just Sow!

Jesus taught the multitudes in Matthew 13 with parables, three of which are directly related to agriculture.  Here is a farmer's perspective on the first one, commonly called the Parable of the Sower.

"Behold, a sower went forth to sow;"  The sower went forth to sow, without regard to the conditions of the field in which he sowed.  As we see in the following verses, he sowed on rocky ground, among thorns, on good soil, and in this instance, on the way side.  We Christians should all be sowers of the gospel, indiscriminately sowing in the field God has placed us. Our job is to sow, letting the seed fall wherever God wills it.

"And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up."  This is a common farming problem even today.  Geese, crows, and other animals such as wild hogs can wreak havoc on a newly planted field.  They will eat the seed before it has had time to sprout and root down.  Jesus interprets his own parable later in the chapter.  In this instance, he says that when some one hears the Word and does not understand it, then Satan comes and catches away the seed that was sown.  Satan loves to confuse the minds of those that may have had a seed thrown their way. By doing so he will often snatch away the thoughts that have turned to eternity before they have time to take root.

"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away."  Seeds that are planted on rocky ground are often the fastest to come up, because the rocks catch the sun's rays and warm the soil around them.  However, rocky ground doesn't hold much moisture, because it contains a higher percentage of rocks and less soil.  Therefore, in times of drought, crops on rocky land will die quicker.  Jesus says that he that receives the seed in stony places hears the Word and receives it with joy.  However, he has grown too quickly for the amount of root that he has; and when trials and tribulations arise, he is offended.  How often have we seen new converts spring up, try to grow up too fast, and then quickly wither away under Satan's fervent heat because they have no root!

"And some fell among thorn; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them."  This is one of the toughest battles farmers are facing at this time.  Certain weeds have become resistant to herbicides, to the point they are being called superweeds.  Planting in the weeds is a big mistake, because the weeds will grow faster than the crop and choke it out.  Jesus says that he that receives the seed among thorns hears the Word and understands it, but the cares of life and the deceitfulness of riches choke it out, and he becomes unfruitful.  These two weeds in particular, the cares of life and deceitfulness of riches, must constantly be guarded against.  If we find them arising in our lives, we must pluck them out immediately or risk becoming unfruitful.

"But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit."  This is the ground that we love to plant in.  It has been properly prepared, is weed free, and has plenty of depth.  You never know how much the yield will be, but it will bring forth a good crop according to the growing conditions it encounters.  Jesus says this is he that hears the Word, understands it, and brings forth fruit.  I want to be a fruitful Christian, what about you?

Once again, I come away from this parable with the thought, "Just sow!" It is not for me to judge the soil. It may be in better or worse condition than I can discern. The seed may take hold and bear fruit even if I don't see the possibility. However, there will never be a harvest if we don't at first sow the seed. So let's get out there today and do some sowing!

Dinner at Mama's

Just before I dig in

Picture this: fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, fried squash, green beans, and a yeast roll.  Not your thing?  What about a low country boil, or maybe fajita nachos?  You never know what's on the menu when you come in from work to eat dinner at Mama's.  Just to nip any confusion in the bud, our three meals are breakfast, dinner, and supper.  Lunch is something you eat out of a pail or on a picnic.

Mama in action

Mama's talent in the kitchen is something to behold.  Many a day she has walked into the kitchen at 11:30 and turned out a mouthwatering meal by 12 o'clock.  That 12 o'clock mark is very important too.  There's something about us Smiths, we like to eat at noon on the nose.  We know she will have it ready, and she knows we will be there or be on the way. Most days she calls around mid-morning to see who all she needs to cook for that day.  It ranges from just her and Daddy, to around 15 hungry mouths during watermelon harvest.  That's besides those that may just drop by or get invited to dinner by Daddy.  Many a crop insurance agent, tractor mechanic, landlord, and preacher has put his feet under Mama's table.  She always seems to have just enough.

Dinner at Mama's means a lot more than just good food.  It is also a time of talking and laughing.  We all catch up on what's been happening that morning on the farm, how the crops are looking, and what the chance of rain is for that afternoon.  Mama tells us what's going on with the rest of the family.  The kids show us their latest trick, and we all laugh and tell them how great it is.  What a great blessing it is for our family to get to share this time together almost every day.


Then, before you know it, dinner time is over.  The dishes are put in the washer, the scraps are carried out to the dog, and the leftovers are put in the refrigerator for supper.  It's time to go back to work on your tractor.  As you start back down the row, you wonder why we can't all take a nap after dinner every day like Pa did when we were little.  You feel like you will never be hungry again, but at the same time you wonder if tomorrow will bring grilled pork chops or lasagna.  Whatever it is, it will be good.


Happy Mothers Day to my mama, Janice!  We love you!






Now it's your turn!  Do you get to eat with your family often, or do you have memories of meal times in the past?  What about your Mama, is she a good cook?  Not all Moms are, unfortunately!

The Power Is Out!

We recently had some severe storms in the area that knocked our electricity out.  Our house is at the end of the line for the local electric co-op.  That means we're the first to lose power and the last to get it back.  It's the price we pay in return for living out in the country.

I remember as a boy the excitement I would feel when the lights went out.  It meant that my brother and I got to pretend that we were back in the "old timeys" as we called it.  The big thunderstorms always seemed to roll through late in the afternoon, and if we were lucky the power would stay off until after we went to bed.  No power = no water, so we didn't have to take a bath.  As it would begin to get dark, Mama would light an old hurricane lantern, and she and Daddy would sit around and tell us "old timey" stories.

In the early 90's, we had what the media labeled "The Storm of the Century."  This was a blizzard that made it all the way into south Georgia in early March.  I don't remember there being a lot of snow, but the wind was at hurricane levels for about three days.  And cold!  It was unbelievably cold.  The electricity was off for several days, and our home became the defacto meeting place for our extended family due to one simple fact - Mama had the only gas stove, so our house was where the food was!  What a great time we had, sleeping in a frozen little house under piles of blankets and quilts.  School was canceled, so it was one big play time for us children.

Of course, as I have gotten older, the novelty of being instantly thrown back into the 19th century has worn off.  The lack of almost every modern convenience, even for a very short time, gets old in a hurry.  We're so accustomed to air conditioning, refrigeration, and lights that we hardly know how to function without them.  You've heard the old Ben Franklin saying, "No one misses the water until the well goes dry?"  Let me offer you a new one.  "No one appreciates a light switch until the power goes out."

Now it's your turn! What does your family do when the power goes off?  Do you have any memories of extended power outages?  Thanks again for reading, and I look forward to your comments.

Drought

Have you ever been in a drought? We're in the middle of a severe drought right now in south Georgia. Summer water restrictions haven't kicked in yet, but they will shortly without significant rainfall.

Drought is the result of a prolonged period of little to no rain. It is often accompanied by extreme heat. Reliable sources of water such as ponds, creeks, and even wells can dry up. Crops suffer and don't yield at their usual levels. Extended drought over large areas of land can even bring famine, starvation, and even death.

As detrimental as this can be, there is a different kind of drought that is even worse - a drought in the soul. Our nation, many of our churches, and individuals that we know and love are in the grips of a drought right now. Ever been there? Yeah, me too.

A spiritual drought is a prolonged time of not feeling God's presence. It is often accompanied by Satan "turning up the heat." Reliable religious routines are insufficient, and in turn the soul gets weaker from lack of water. If the drought engulfs enough souls, spiritual famine will ensue.

How can we make it through a drought, whether spiritual or natural? By seeking out more water. Dig a deeper well to tap into unused water. Pray more earnestly, fast, read more of God's Word. Keep the faith. Bring an umbrella to the prayer meeting. Lastly, simply endure. Rest assured that at some point, it will rain again. Who knows? Today could be the day that the heavens open up and bring the droughtbuster we so desperately need.

Isaiah 58:11 And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.