On the Land

I used to rejoice in spring when the first furrows rolled out behind the plow in our fields....back in the day....but that doesn't happen much any more.

However, I find much the same joy in watching a beautiful field of river flats down where we go birding every day. I have written about its seasons in the Farm Side, the shaggy coat of rye springing up among last year's corn stubble in the fall and greening up in the spring.

I also love walking the exposed bed of the river

The fine dark brown of the rows as the plow turns the rye down to feed the next spring's crop, and the corn swaying tall and green and fine as summer progresses into fall.

The harvest laying the land bare for the next crop of rye to hold the soil strong for the winter.

Yesterday there were tractors on it, plowing, and spreading valuable organic fertilizer from somebody's cows upon the rye as it was incorporated. We watched for a bit and stole a few photos, reveling in the richness of good soil and good stewardship.

We have seen a few Amish farmers plowing, as horses are lighter and can go on the wet, cold land earlier than English farmers' heavier machinery.

This, though, this was delight. The cycle of preparing the land, planting, feeding, growing, harvest ,and planting the rye to overwinter,warms my farmer's heart every single year. What joy to be able to say, "The farmer is on the land."