I Can See Clearly Now...

This season, we watched corn grow from seed to nearly nine feet tall in the planting field north of our farmhouse. Only a couple of these acres belong to us, but it's always planted by our northern farmer/neighbor.

For most of the summer, we couldn't see the horizon, nor the animals that traversed this field over the past few months. Last weekend, that all changed. In a matter of hours, this field was harvested for another season. I'm not sure whether or not they will till this stubble under for the winter, but we already know next year's crop will be nitrogen-rich beans. 

One of the things we respect most about our neighbor is the respectful way he treats the land (including ours). He rotates his crops for the benefit of the plants and the soil. Corn really sucks nitrogen out of the soil, so planting beans next year will renourish the soil for future crops. Not only do they plow the land, but they learn about the sustainable ways to improve without harsh chemicals or erosive practices. We really respect that.

So, this field will be resting again for the winter, and will be ready to again provide next season. So many thoughts and lessons to be learned, but I'll just leave it here for now. It's wonderful to see the horizon north of us again for a little while.