Its time to cut

 Come August, the wagons find themselves traveling to the field for the initial cutting. 

 Tobacco is a labor intensive crop, each plant has to be hand cut and carefully laid on the ground to begin the wilting procedure.  Each tobacco plant needs to wilt so that when picked up, it is loose and easy to handle.  Otherwise the leaves will break off.  Losing leaves means losing money.  The more leaves left to the plant the heavier it is for which the contract is written for pounds (weight).

 Oscar and Leonel cutting in the hot sun and heat of the day.  This is a very back breaking type of work, leaning over a million times a day. 

 You can see the tobacco in the front of the picture has wilted and the boys have begun to spike the plants (shown in the back).

The most practical way to experience cutting is to come visit, but if you can't make it to the farm.........I have uploaded some videos for you to see how it is done in the field.  Notice the guys doing all the work!!  It sometimes takes me 2 or 3 whacks at the stalk to knock it down.  Yes practice makes perfect, but at the rate of getting it cut and in practical time, our guys are much better and more efficient than I could ever be!

Our farm would not function without the help from our guys!  My job it to make sure the fields are flowing with this sound of what you hear in the video.  I am usually managing and working from my phone, which is a miracle in itself.  Being able to do all that you can do from a little device keeps me in the field.

Due to the heat and long days, my little helpers work at seeing our guys are hydrated and fed.  Below is a picture of the girls working in the fields and providing snacks for the guys.

There is never a dull moment when it comes to the girls.............notice no whining in this picture. 

Always work to be done

Winter time around the farm seems like a slower time of year, right? Well, most farmers would say NO.  After row crop harvest and tobacco harvest/stripping/barn cleaning, the guys and Scott clean, put away and make homes for all the equipment not needed over the winter months.  During this time, the shop becomes our home away from home.  In this case 200 yards away from our house, we are blessed by the closeness in distance where our farmer works. 

Now is the time of breaking equipment apart, fixing what was broken during harvest and revamping old equipment into new again.  The girls and I run in and out, mostly to say hello or just get out of the house from working.  Its loud, sometimes stinky and just plain boring to the normal folks.  But to us, its a place of adventure, dirt and grease, and time to be with family. 

This day above Scott was working on putting new hubs on the semi trailer, or something to that effect when I asked.  I love days like this when I can sit and watch him work, the kids can play or ride their 4-wheerler or bikes, and momma can just bask in the aroma of grease.  Not what I dreamed of at the rip old age of a newly wed wife, but I wouldn't change it for the world!!! Just another day in the life of a Farmers wife!

Mooooving Day

Its always a sad day when we mooove cattle to the Sale Barn from our farm. As the girls say goodbye, we say Hello to healthy and quality beef to our kitchen table.  Every animal that comes to the farm has the best quality life, especially from our 2 girls that live to see each of their animals are cared and loved for.  Most are named and some are even nurtured by brushing and hand feeding. 

Hello 2013! I have to say I will miss 2012 but thankful for another year and what 2013 has to bring! Last year we learned so many things, some good and some bad. I thought the drought of 2012 would end lives for some of us farmers, lol. It WAS the worst I have seen as a farmers wife. BUT oh the mountains it put in front of us only for us to cross, and cross we did! Prayer was stronger, we were healthy and we learned God makes a way if you are willing to keep FAITH! Every door doesn't have a handle but every door does open! And finding how to do open it was a challenge but soooo blessed when we did. It was a safe year on the farm, and I can't be more thankful for our friends that live, eat, and breath to support us and their families thousands of miles away. 2013, all I can say is bring it! I pray for Health, Happiness, and Faith for each of you fb friends! Its here I learn that I am blessed everyday, and everyday I need to do more for others. I started my morning with 4 happy faces, and a farm full of hungry animals. With a little poop on my boots I remember nothing or no one I am too good for, Thank you Lord for all the small reminders! Just blessed, for another day in the life as the farmers wife. Have a great 2013 FB friends!