Grace.

To say 2020 has been an interesting year is an understatement. COVID-19 has drastically impacted our world and of course our farm. We had to implement lots of changes on our farm in our day to day operations and many changes to our roadside stand procedures. It was a learning curve for all of us. Luckily, our community showed up, and handled these changes with grace. We ended up having a great strawberry season in spite of COVID-19. Thank you all for having a hand in that.

This week starts the harvest of our 2020 tobacco season. Everything is running a little later than usual. The weather delayed planting and the weather has delayed harvesting as well, so here we are just getting started. The hours in the day have increased even more for our farmers. Earlier mornings and later nights are part of the process. Our farms are spread out over 3 counties so our guys are on the road and in the field all day during pulling season. Once they get back to farm in the evenings it’s not over. All the barns they just put in or put in previous days, have to be checked and make sure everything is running smoothly. If not, they have to work on them and get them going or else they could lose all of the harvested tobacco that they’ve just put in that barn.

I ask that when you see the various different pieces of farm equipment on the road traveling to the next field or trying to make it back to the farm at the end of the day, you show the same grace you’ve shown us before. This equipment isn’t made to go 60 mph. It’s made to harvest crops but we still have to get to our fields safely in order to do that. Whether that means driving the primer to the next field or in our case a lot of times, loading them up and hauling them to the next field. Whether that means following a truck and trailer full of tobacco or an empty one headed back for another load. Either way, please show grace. These guys don’t want to be in front of you anymore than you want to be behind them. Please don’t pass them when it isn’t safe. So many times my husband will tell me of people passing when they shouldn’t and running oncoming cars off the road, and he can’t stop on the dime when he’s hauling equipment on an 18 wheeler. I won’t get into the hand gestures, unless you are waving to say hello, lets just keep those to yourselves okay?

If you find yourself having to slow down for a few miles take it as an opportunity to slow your pace, take a few minutes for yourself, say a prayer, and remember that these guys have families to get home to just like you. Let’s all have a little grace.

Until next time…

-the farmer’s daughter