Holbert: The short winter hours bring on the longest of days – The Daily Republic

Weve hit the time of the year when we really start to understand the movie Groundhog Day. By that I mean that were living in a constant state of washing, fixing, and hauling. Out of all the months of farming, Id say, for strictly grain farmers at least, that February is the hardest month of them all. Its not the one with the longest hours or the hardest days, but its definitely the one with the hours and days that seem the longest.

You see, the rest of the year is filled with fixing tile, planting, spraying, pulling the weeds that spraying didnt kill, and harvesting, but February? Well, February is filled with shop work. Maybe Im alone in this, but I hate shop work.

Everyone loves getting to head to the field whether it be to fix tile, spread fertilizer, or put on anhydrous ammonia because youre outside and one step closer to putting seed in the ground. It keeps you busy and leaves you with the feeling that only a good days work can give you.

Everyone loves planting, and even if they dont love it because it stresses them out (Im talking about me right there if you couldnt tell), its still a satisfying and fulfilling feeling when the job is done. The days are long, but they leave you with a feeling of accomplishment that the seeds you planted will grow into a crop youll be able to harvest in a few months time.

I wont say everyone loves spraying because that would be a lie, but spending the summer spraying gives you the opportunity to assess how your crop is doing. The days may still be long during these summer months, but they give you a little bit more freedom than planting and harvest do at the very least.

Everyone loves harvest. Id bet my life savings that for ninety percent of farmers, harvest is their favorite time of year. Its the chance to see just what an entire years work has earned them, a chance to see a years worth of prayers answered.

But no one seems to love the winter months quite as much as the rest of the year. Dont get me wrong, as someone who struggles with anything involving mechanics and fixing things, I completely understand why. Its the time of year I dread the most because Im not able to be outside doing what Im actually capable of doing, but its honestly one of the most important times of the year.

It gets a lot of hate, but in all actuality, this time of year may be the most important of them all. Its these long winter months patiently (or impatiently in my case) awaiting warm enough weather to head to the field when all the important work gets done. You see, working on fixing all the equipment and getting it ready for the coming year keeps things running smoothly for all of the fun parts. Getting the planters finely tuned now keeps those seeds going into the ground without issue or delay come April and May.

February is our reminder that the time spent preparing for the busy season is just as crucial, if not more important, than the busy season, and I think thats something everyone can reflect on even if theyre not involved in the agriculture industry. Its the time and hard work put into making something a possibility that matters more than the actual event most of the time, and that effort is something worth appreciating.

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Holbert: The short winter hours bring on the longest of days - The Daily Republic