The Spring Scratch

Well, it's that time of the year. The time whenever we go anywhere and see someone working ground for early spring field work, my husband reports his thoughts on whether or not they're doing a good job, whether or not he should be out there working, and whether or not a rain would do something good or bad for aforementioned field work.

Farmers around here are starting to surface. They're starting to get equipment out and ready. They're starting to "scratch around," as Joe says. I always thought Spring Fever came with an itch, not a scratch, but that's a technicality.

Whatever the case, it's that time, and we're all a little anxious. Should we be doing more? Should we be setting the planter up? Should the guys have been out this last Sunday, when it was 85 degrees, like some of the neighbors?

Would'a, should'a, could'a.

Seriously. Even though we have only been in the full time farming gig for a few years every spring, it's the same conversation: When to start? Where to start? And, some times, Who is starting?

I'm just hopeful I don't have to hear the phrase again, "could you wait about two hours?" when I go into labor and Joe's planting beans. That was a fun moment in our marriage!

The potential to do something, to scratch around, if you will, is there. The seed salesmen are starting to deliver this year's seed. The weather is warming up. There are fields that have been prepped by Crop Production Services. There are neighbors who have worked ground.

However, what no one seems to mention is that we're all a little jittery. To me, this beginning of the planting season is a lot like Christmas shopping. I have sisters-in-law who get their shopping done by October, and come to Thanksgiving and talk about all they have done. I leave the dinner, anxious and cranky, wishing I had been on top of the early sales or had the energy to even consider tackling the lines at Target on Black Friday. However, we all come to our family Christmas with the same gifts, and no one seems to care whether or not I wrapped everything the night before, or three months before. It's all there.

That's what spring scratching is like. Everyone and every operation works at his or her own family's speed. Even within each operation, there may be those who work at differing speeds, but in the middle of summer, the corn is up, and in the end of the growing season, the plants are ready to be harvested. I know I will get a lot of comments from my family about the optimum planting time making the optimum product, I wholeheartedly believe that no one should start to get grouchy or antsy on April 4th.

Now, talk to me on May 4th, and if nothing's done, then I'll be singing another tune!

Happy spring!