Fields of Grain

Michael Harmon looks out of his combine cab at the many rows of Iowa corn waiting to be harvested. It’s fall in Central Iowa, and the fields are filled with combine harvesters, tractors and grain wagons.

Michael’s family has farmed the area north of Ankeny for more than 150 years. Many generations of his family have paved the way for him to be successful. On a dry weekday, Michael spends up to 12 hours a day in the cab.

It was my pleasure this month to do a ride-along with Michael in his combine. I took advantage of a benefit at Two Rivers Marketing called Curiosity Time Off (CTO). It’s a newer benefit of our advertising agency and allows associates to explore a variety of interests across a wide range of topics. Riding in a combine had long been on my wish list, especially since I’m a native Iowan and have ancestors who farmed in Iowa.

I met Michael this summer while doing a story and photo shoot for a client. He had purchased a new excavator and was using it to install new drain tile on the edge of his property near a creek. During our interaction, I inquired about visiting the farm during harvest time.

On a partly cloudy day in mid-October, I met Michael, his brother Sean and a crew of helpers working just east of Ankeny. The sprawling suburbs haven’t spoiled this bountiful soil with new homes and strip malls. Instead, fields of golden corn wait to be harvested by the big, green 约翰迪尔 combine.

As I climbed into the combine cab for the first time, I sat in my own seat to the left of Michael. To his right was an assortment of monitors featuring a variety of technology. This included an iPad with an app that provides a wealth of information. Michael opened the app and showed me an aerial view of the field where he worked that afternoon. The app recognized the field, and when Michael planted the corn earlier this year. Using GPS to guide the combine, the app reported live data for the corn yield. ‘Amazing,’ I thought.

After about three hours of pure bliss in the cab and wonderful conversations with Michael, it was time to leave. I thought, ‘I just spent three hours in the combine cab, and Michael is normally working as many as 12 hours a day during harvest time.’” This reminded me of how important our farmers are to our economy and food production in Iowa. The America Needs Farmers (ANF) slogan also came to mind, and I’m grateful for the marketing efforts of the University of Iowa to start this campaign decades ago.

I’m not sure what I’ll explore next using my CTO, but if it’s anything like my day in the field, it will be another exceptional experience.

Thanks to the Harmons and the many other farmers who grow our food and care for the land.