Post-Harvest Tradition

Since the early 2000's, I have celebrated the end of harvest with an Arizona hiking getaway.

The idea was inspired by a particularly difficult fall.

Yields and prices were poor, weather was challenging, and our organization was experiencing growing pains. 

I needed an enticing and achievable goal to counter the expected personal and financial disappointment.      

Having recently discovered and been awed by the iconic desert southwest landscapes of Sedona, I decided a week long hiking retreat would be the reward that would keep me optimistic and motivated.

For those of us driven to discover the limits of our ability, getting caught in a perfect storm of unlikely, but possible, adverse variables can be overwhelming.

That's when having an "emotional life preserver" comes in handy.

When surrounded by the infinite imagination and relentless inertia of nature, I am reminded of my insignificance and the triviality of my attachment.   

It helps me reconcile the gap between what I desire and what is. 

I returned from my "2020 Desert Retreat" last Friday. It included a medley of favorite hikes in Northern Arizona and the weather was ideal.

Which brings me to the main purpose of this blog.  

We finished harvesting our last field of corn Wednesday, November 18th at 10:30 pm.

I am being precise because this moment will likely not be surpassed for years, if not decades.

Future debaters of noteworthy harvest metrics will remember 2020 as one of the most productive, trouble free, weather friendly, and enjoyable in our history.

From mid-September until Thanksgiving, there were only 3 days not suitable for fieldwork.

There were no significant personal injuries and only one truck damaged from a deer hit.

Yields were good and thanks to low moisture levels in corn, drying expense was minimal.

As the mild weather continues, ongoing operations include fertilizer application, rock picking, tile repairs and land improvements.

These are all bonus activities that would normally wait until spring.

With so many experiencing hardship as a result of Covid, we are acutely aware of our good fortune.

We know the grace of providence, the choices of our forebears, and the fickle whims of nature affected this outcome more than our meager efforts.

So it is with humility and gratitude we can close the book on 2020 and turn our attention to 2021.

Jim