Oklahoma/Kansas Border: It was bittersweet to watch the combines roll out of the yard that Saturday. The pull to hit the road was strong, but there was still work to be done before the kids and I could leave full time.
Combines started harvesting shortly after their arrival on Monday, June 9, along the Oklahoma/Kansas border near Barber County, Kansas. They crew was excited to finally be in the field, but they had their work cut out for them!
This part of Oklahoma and Kansas had been blessed with an over abundance of late spring rains. Combines and grain carts had to be extremely careful about where they were running and even then, the ground was deceiving. Soft spots appeared out of virtually nowhere. There may have even been some machinery stuck at times. Extra weight had to be avoided, so dumping bins often was important. Some fields had to be patched and returned to later.
Preliminary yields were promising with some ranging between the 50s-low 70s.
While the crew trying to avoid muddy landmines, I was hopping on a plane to Washington DC. Several of my colleagues and I, from Kansas Farm Bureau, had the opportunity to attend an American Farm Bureau Fly-In.
If I’m honest, the timing of the event was horrendous for me, our family, and others like us who needed to be in the field. However, having the opportunity to advocate at our nation’s capital, in support of agriculture, is also important and something we believe in. Therefore, we found a way to make it work, in large part thanks to my mom who agreed to spend a few days with the little harvesters! We appreciate all the support she’s been to us over the years!
In our short 48 hours in Washington D.C., we spoke to our Kansas representatives and senators, groups at the USDA, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the American First Institute, and had White House conversation with policy staff. We had many important talks around trade, the farm bill, MAHA, and more. I really enjoy this type of work and try my best speak up for farmers whenever I can.
In the time since our trip, I’ve seen many other acquaintances from other agriculture and commodity groups spending time in D.C. I also remind others back home, that their voice is important too, whether in person on from afar. If there’s something you want to wish to share with your representation, please do it now via phone call or email. It is a crucial time for agriculture and your input matters!
In a couple shorts days after this trip, we may our first harvest pilgrimage of the summer. For better or worse, more spring monsoons hit. This further saturated already soggy fields and kept us from the field.
The only other benefit of the rain, with the exception of the happy corn and bean crops, was it provided an opportunity for some team bonding. The little harvesters were delighted to play blitz ball, a type baseball, with the crew. It was fun because this was some of our crew’s first time EVER to play baseball, as its not as common in other parts of the world. We also went to the pool with some of the team and introduced them to digging crystals at The Great Salt Plains near Cherokee, Oklahoma.
In this season of life, I find myself wearing a lot of different hats for work, as a mom, and even an advocate for agriculture. While keeping track of all the hats can be challenging at times, I feel grateful to be involved in these capacities. Without a doubt, this was a week to remember and I appreciate those who made it possible.
