WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022 I DON'T WANT TO FARM

 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2022 

I’m writing fiction this week.

*****

Jack couldn’t get away from the farm quick enough.  He wasn’t a farmer, he didn’t want to be a farmer.  “Hey Jack, go sit in the tractor for six hours today plowing (or cultivating, or fertilizing, or harvesting).”  “Hey Jack, some of the cows are ready to deliver.  Get your delivery duds on.” 

Farming in western Minnesota just wasn’t what he wanted.  Dirty, tiring, hot, and cold, not enough rain, too much rain.  WORK, WORK, WORK - blah, blah, blah.

His family had a 5000-acre farm in Lyon County Minnesota.  Jack did have to admit it was better than a 10,000 ranch in western South Dakota but not as good as 5000 acres in Illinois or Indiana.  He was also glad that their cattle were beef cattle, not dairy cattle - otherwise, twice a day they would be milking.  

Jack made up his mind to leave after college.  Of course, making up your mind in late December when the air temperature was minus 8, and the wind chill was minus 35 was almost too easy.  Likewise, he could be on the tractor in mid-summer when the temperatures were in the upper 90s and the humidity was something like 500%.  (Well, maybe not 500% - but it was humid and hot).

The Walsh farm was successful.  Dad’s family were multimillionaires. Of course, farming was a gamble.  What if you didn’t get the right amount of rain for the corn or soybeans?  What if a hailstorm knocked the crops down?  There was even a chance that they had a bumper crop - and then the prices fell at the co-op elevator.  

What if the cows got ‘mad cow’ disease or something similar - and they had to kill them off.  (Not a common occurrence with all the costly antibiotics they used, but possible).

Jack loved his family.  His Dad had played football and basketball and got his degree in agri-business at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall.  Mom was from Luverne Minnesota - just “down the road a piece”.  The two had met at college.  Mom was also from a farm and they had a great partnership.  

With the farm’s success, Dad and Mom took a two-week vacation in a warm place in January.  They had been to most of the Hawaiian Islands, done a few Caribbean Cruises, and to Aruba and some of the other islands.  In summer, after calving, planting, and cultivating, Dad would arrange for Uncle Wayne to watch the farm and the family went to Disney, New York, Washington DC, and even to Europe.  Jack and the Walsh family loved watching the Tour de France live and hiking in the Alps.

So, it wasn’t all drudgery, but vacations ended and the work had to be done (in order to pay for the next vacation).  

*****

His parents had watched Jack grow and knew that he didn’t want to be a farmer.  They understood the issues of farming.  

And, Jack was a reasonable kid.  He knew he needed an education to make a living off the farm.

So, after high school, he went on to Southwest Minnesota State College. He had taken four AP classes so was almost a semester ahead when he got to campus.  He was good at math (and in addition to being good, he liked math - a good combination).  So, off to college, majoring in computer information systems with a double minor in math and business.  He worked hard and got on the Dean’s list. 

He still lived at home (it was about a 25-minute commute to campus) and helped out when he could on the farm.  He was excused from the cattle birthing process and the daily tasks but did his part when he could plant, cultivate, and sit in a tractor for 6 to 8 hours a day.

After two years of college, Jack got a summer internship with Schwan’s Enterprises in Marshall as a programmer.  That was an awesome experience.  (And definitely better than riding a tractor).

He got a standing offer from Schwans for a full-time, good-paying job with them when he graduated.  But, something strange happened during his senior year.  He wrote a senior thesis on the mathematics involved in computer imaging.  That got him published in an upper midwest technology journal.  And, on March 14 (he laughed - that was “PI” day), he got a call from John Deere engineering in Rock Island Illinois.  Could he come for an interview?  Luckily, the next week was spring break and he drove from the farm to Minneapolis and flew to the Quad Cities airport.  John Deere was doing some breakthrough work on autonomous tractors and equipment.  His work on computer imaging was just what he needed - and the pay and sign-on bonus were significant.

On July 1st, Jack started with John Deere in Rock Island.  After six weeks, he got put on a team developing the next generation of tractors, combines, and related equipment.  AND, they needed a test site.  Jack offered (without permission) his family farm (and his father and family quickly agreed).  

In the next months, Jack was back on the farm - and back to sitting in a high-tech tractor.  It wasn’t quite full circle, but with Jack’s technical skills, his background in agriculture, and his math and business skills - Jack the “black sheep'' of the family who didn’t want to farm, became a silent partner of his father and his older brother Jim.  

Epilog

After ten years, Jack had become Assistant CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of John Deere.  In conjunction with Iowa State University, Jack completed a doctorate program in agricultural engineering and agricultural systems.  Now married with a son (who loved farming and riding in grandpa’s high-tech tractor), he found he didn’t have to be a farmer.

So, Jack made a good life - and soon was vacationing with his family in Hawaii, and the Caribbean Islands, and making trips to the Tour de France every other year.  And, not being a farmer!!!

*****

So, Karen - interesting story - but why in this week before Christmas?

Christmas is a season of hope - a new beginning - a little tiny baby born in a stable.  Jack had hopes and with some hard work and some breaks, he reached his goal too.  

As you sit and reflect this Christmas Season - what hopes do you have?  

Is LOVE driving your life?  Are you letting love win?  Are you letting love transform you?

Karen Anne White, ©, December 21, 2022