Manley, Nebraska – Um, I really want to sort of fib a little right now and put Chase, Kansas, as my location but that would be lying and that’s not me.

So, here’s the deal. I’m feeling a bit like we’re never going to actually get Harvest 2019 started. It’s really beginning to wear on me. I know my sitting here in my “home, home” kitchen typing this note, I am telling the story of Harvest 2019—just not the one I want to be telling you. I would much rather be telling you about the late night we had cutting 65

Manley, Nebraska – This should be the last time I use this location at the beginning of my posts. Trip number one has been made to Chase, Kansas. Harvest 2019 is about to begin for the Z Crew ... finally!

I’m going to get real with this post.

The state of agriculture is depressing right now. Farming is a stressful and risky business. Weather and commodity prices are two of the main causes of the current decline in farm income and both are out of the farmer’s control.  I just recently read a heartbreaking story about another young farmer from South Dakota

Manley, Nebraska—It was some time between the 2000 fall harvest and the spring of 2001 that we made the decision to change things up a bit with our crew. I would go to the field with Jim and the girls were going to become our support system. I was silently doing a little happy dance because I loved being in a combine.

When my grandparents asked me to join their crew for the 1974 harvest, I’m absolutely certain they had no clue they were setting me up for what would become my life journey.



Anticipation ... waiting a bit longer before the

Manley, Nebraska - I manage a couple of Facebook pages that are harvest related and I get this question often, “How do I start my own harvest business?”

Most of the time, it’s someone who already owns a combine and wants to hit the road.



Because we are still at home, I've been enjoying the beauty of spring. It was such a long, brutal winter I almost feel like I deserve this extra time at home to soak up all the beauty. 

I usually get excited when I’m approached with questions about the ins and outs of this business. It’s been a passion

Manley, Nebraska – The waiting is sometimes the hardest part of anything.

And it’s no different for that first day of being on the road. But there’s no sense in getting in a hurry. The most common harvest quote and one I’ve heard since I was about 12 years old is “hurry up and wait.” It’s so true for pretty much all of what the harvest journey is about.



I planted my "traveling garden" last night ... just before the rains rolled in, once again.

Yes, we’re waiting. Waiting on the wheat to ripen and waiting on the weather to straighten out.

Manley, Nebraska—I found myself wishing for a patio set a couple of days ago. I’ve never had one. There are so many cute sets with matching pillows and I try to tell myself that maybe it would be okay to purchase one. After all, they are on sale right now. And then the practical side of my brain tells me that would just be plain dumb. I might get to use it for a couple of weeks and then I’d have to find a place to store it for the next three months.

Oh, and all those beautiful flowers and garden

Jordan, Montana - The cleanup has begun.

When I make that last round and climb down the ladder for the last time, it never fails to create a ping in my soul. I don't even know if the word, "ping", is the correct way of defining the feeling that happens. Why does this happen? I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Sometimes, I really wish I was like others who do a little happy dance when it's over. Instead, I'm always wishing there was just one more field to head to.

The days end much chillier than

Jordan, Montana - It was 41 degrees yesterday when we got up. My very first action of the day was turning on the "fireplace". It's actually just a glorified space heater but it looks nice and it does a fine job of warming up the Cottage in a short period of time.

When the flies start hanging around the screen door late in the day, you know you may as well count on the next morning beginning with the heat of the fireplace.

Where did it go? Summer, that is. How does it go from being 108 degrees to 41 in such

Jordan, Montana - Ugh!!!! That's what I get! I was trying to hurry and get this done so I could take a shower and go to bed. I deleted pictures and I can't retrieve them.  I had some really good ones that I was so excited to share.

So...here's what you get. You'll just have to believe me when I say the ones I "threw away" were darn good. Dang it!

Just look how beautiful my mobile garden is right now! The water in Jordan isn't good for humans...or flowers. I have a couple of people who have graciously provided me

Jordan, Montana - We are done cutting winter wheat for 2018. But...we're still cutting wheat. So, what's the difference between the two crops? They look exactly the same - in the field and in the bin.

Sometimes these large fields can seem overwhelming. And then they just become several smaller fields within a large field and it doesn't seem quite so bad.



The picture doesn't do the depth of this "canyon" any justice. It was really quite impressive!



Winter wheat is planted in the fall and harvest begins in early spring and moves northward through the summer months. This type of