One of the things that I like most about working on the farm is that I don't always know what I may be doing on a particular day. Things can change in a moment and they may change through out the day. This morning was one of those days that I was called to drive tractor. We are busy chopping hay for haylage and there were not enough drivers for hauling loads so I was asked to jump into a tractor and drive. 

Many of my non-farm readers may not know this, but tractors have different ways to get them into motion and how they shift. The chopping crew has their own tractors, therefore, only one of the tractors hauling loads is ours. I was pointed to a new tractor that was part of the crew's tractors. This tractor has 4 items needed to get the tractor in motion and moving faster. First it needs to go into a gear range A through E. A is the slowest, E is the fastest. Then on the steering column there is a forward and reverse, this is good for if the tractor is used as a loader. Then there is the turtle and the rabbit push button which has 4 gears to it. Last but not least, there is the throttle.

One of the nice features of the newer tractors is that they have quiet cabs and excellent sound systems. I am sure a few people who passed me on the road today saw me singing to the radio, but that's okay. Most of the people I met on the road today waved and I even recognized a few. I am sure a few people were surprised to see a tractor and wagon at the stoplights near the truck stops, just off of I-80. 


I was relieved from the tractor after lunch by a family friend and his small grandson. This little boy had just become a big brother this morning and it was made even more special by being with his grandpa and getting to ride in a big green tractor! Now it is back to my normal duties, answering emails, going through the mail and keeping up on the book work.

As I mentioned in my first post, I came from a business analyst background as well as farming. One area that I always took for granted growing up was that everything gets done, I did not question or even realize that there is even another option. The reason that everything gets done is because farmers are the ultimate project managers.

Wikipedia defines a project manager as, " Project managers have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project." To me, this defines most any farmer. A farmer typically has many projects going on at anyone time. For example, here at Cinnamon Ridge, we had a tour from a Heritage Club at a bank, we are constructing a new heifer barn, bean planting is in full swing, and we are going to start chopping triticale hay. Some projects are small, others are more complex.

Farmers have drop-dead dates. Most of these deadlines are not self-imposed, but weather dictated. There are a few other deadlines that are not weather related, family events will cause certain project to get done by a date: graduation, weddings, and on some occasions, vacations.

Most project management skills are learned on the job. Children learn from their parents and not getting a task done in time sometimes can have catastrophic consequences. Not getting hay baled and put in the shed prior to the rain can cause thousands of dollars of loss. Not getting cows moved to a different pasture before it rains can cause a cow to lose a calf. However, even the best project managers have to work around obstacles when their best laid plans do not work. That is when, I believe, farmers shine. Farmers deal with rainstorms, equipment breakdown, and livestock. If it starts raining and the corn can't get planted, usually there are other things to do: i.e. manure to haul, a squeaky wheel that needs looking into. The only times I see farmers get impatient is when the rain lasts too long. There is only so much manure or repairs that can be done. However, when the fields dry out, farmers put in the hours needed to get the crops in.

Each year farmers have the opportunity to honetheir project management skills. Each year, farmers determine what worked well and what needs to improve or change. Some farmers even add new projects or enterprises to their roles. 

Life on the farm is rarely boring and rarely routine, most days we hope for ordinary. However, as any person that works on projects, there is always the unexpected that comes up and I guess, that is what makes life interesting and what I look forward to each morning.

Here at Cinnamon Ridge Farms we offer tours. Our most common tours is hosting foreign tours. We get guests from all over the world. Just yesterday, we had France and Brazil. While these tours are enjoyable, there is another tour we give that sometimes gives me goosebumps. The tour I am talking about is kid tours. I love it when a child all of a sudden "gets it." I think many teachers have witnessed this and I have also felt this way with my own children. 

Our kid tours are led by daughter, Kara and a retired school teacher, Dorothy. However, last week, they needed my assistance so I helped out. The kids get a wagon ride. From there they get to pet a goat and a calf. After that, they tour the robotic milking barn and see cows getting milked. After that they are treated to an ice cream cone. As I was talking to one little girl I told her that the milk from the cow is used to make ice cream. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up and she told me that she had made homemade ice cream and that they had used milk from a carton.

I excitedly told her that the milk from that carton came from a dairy cow. She ran to the window to watch the cows again and she watched with much enthusiasm.  I was so glad that I was able to share in this little girls epiphany. I hope experiences like this help our children understand the work that goes into the food that they eat rather than think the food comes just from a grocery store.

The last two weeks have been very busy. But it was a good kind of busy. This past weekend was the culmination of almost two years of planning. Last weekend, my oldest daughter got married! The weather held off so that she had a warm, and mostly sunny day. She was a beautiful bride. Her father would have been proud. I am sure that he was smiling down on her.

At times like these, it is wonderful to have family and friends around to share in the joy of a young couple starting their lives out together. There is nothing better for the bride or the mother of the bride to see than to come into the sanctuary and see all the family and friends that have come to be a part of celebrating something very special. I know that many people rearranged plans to be a part of this special day. I know that we tease our children that they should elope, but I would not want to miss out on seeing any of my children say their vows. Having a front row seat allows me privy to much of the discussion between the bride and groom during songs or small interludes. 

Throughout life, there are pivotal moments when a parent realizes that their children are capable and can handle life. This past weekend was one of those moments for me. There have been other times, but all my daughters have shown me that they have learned how to handle life and the different curve balls that life can throw at them. What I observed was how well my daughter did planning her wedding. She did a wonderful job. Everything went off without a hitch. The bridesmaids and groomsmen knew where they were to be. The family knew when to be there for pictures. Food and cakes where there when they were supposed to be. My daughter and I had conversations about various items about her wedding, but for the most part, she handled this on her own. My part of the whole affair was listening to her ideas and giving her the confidence to go with them. The other part I helped with was protocol. Even with that we both had to reference outside sources.


Katie and Craig started their new life together and the rest of us went back to our lives. As a mother, I know need to get used to calling her by a different name, but not much can replace the smile I saw on her face after I called her by her new last name.