Back to the farm

 

I just concluded a wonderful weekend. Filled with some milestones and pleasurable experiences.

As I rounded the sun again last week, I had lunch with my buddy Shawn. It was a good time with great conversation. I enjoy his company and unfortunately, with busy schedules, we rarely see each other. Thus, I relish each time we are together.

Friday Marcie and I were off work, so we began the day with walking the pups. Our destination was O’Bannon Woods State Park. We did a mile loop on the Upper Blue River Trail, then drove to the Horseman’s camp where we did another 1.5 miles.

The Upper Blue River hike concluded with 3 ticks on (Sorine), 1 tick on Kraven, and no ticks for humans. Since the primitive horseman’s camp had all paved trails, the chances of gaining any ticks there were minimal.

With my camera in hand, I could shoot some horses while at the camp. I received permission from an older guy who was saddling up a horse and stated, “I lost my hearing in Vietnam. You must speak up.” The other people also said it was fine. The horses were unsure of me but made great subjects.

Saturday Gavin turned 21, so the plan was for him to come over and have pizza and cake at 5pm. Surprisingly, he showed up at 3pm. Extra alone time with him. Kraven especially had fun bonding with Gavin. Gavin has not had a smile that big in a while. I swear Kraven was smiling too.

At 5pm on Saturday, my in-laws, boisterous sister-in-law, and her separated husband Devin and his son Wyatt showed up to see Gavin. Marcie felt thrilled to have everyone she loved in one place. The dogs wagged their tails in excitement as they received plenty of attention, while Gavin, Marcie, and Susie enjoyed their respective gifts for different occasions. After their departure, the dogs lay sprawled out, completely spent, restoring peace and quiet to the house.

Sunday began with another walk at Indian Creek Trail, where the pup’s got attention from strangers, got exercise and a bit worn out. We all walked 3-miles. After returning home and quick showers, Marcie and I went to lunch at her favorite place (Chuy’s), stopped at the Home Goods store, then returned home for her routine nap. Once she woke up, I was in the living room watching the Cincinnati Reds play when she said, “I am going over to see Mom and Dad for a while and let you watch the game”. I knew she could not resist going over there.

At roughly 5:20pm, I received a text from the grandson of Daryl Hauswald. Daryl is the farmer in Corydon where I had gone to his farm multiple times and taken pictures. His grandson texted me to let me know he was out planting. I called Marcie to let her know, then grabbed my camera and headed to the farm.

As I arrived, I saw one large machine way off in the distance, and called Brad to ensure that was indeed him driving. He stated, “I see you. You can drive down the gravel, across the creek and back to the field I am in if you are not worried about damage to your car.” I have a Subaru. No worries!

I slowly drove down the partial gravel and dirt road toward the massive John Deere 4WD Tractor. I discovered later that this piece of farming equipment alone had a value of over $439,000. Behind the tractor, he pulled a DB Planter. A rough Google search for used ones revealed astonishing values, with some as high as $455,000. By calculating the figures, it became evident that driving through the field was essentially a million-dollar endeavor.

As I reached the end of the rut filled, bumpy, gravel and dirt road, the sound of trickling water reached my ears - a small stream lay ahead. In front of my car, I could see the muddy farm equipment tire tracks, evidence of recent activity. Hesitant but determined, I slowly maneuvered my vehicle down into the stream, the sensation of the rocky terrain beneath me sending vibrations through the steering wheel. I followed the clear path that skirted around a field until I found a spot to park my car in the tall grass, where I felt it would be secure.

With my camera in hand, I closed the door behind me, ready to capture the world outside. The sound of a tractor reached my ears, reverberating from afar, yet its presence remained elusive, concealed by the landscape. In the middle of an empty cornfield, I sat in silence, the only sound being the rustling of the stalks in the gentle breeze. The field was adorned with a yellow pattern as the decayed remains of last year’s crop, ranging in size from a few inches to knee-high, created a mosaic. While staring at the partial stalks, I quickly snapped a few shots, taking in the sight of the light brown dirt and the vivid blue skies with scattered fluffy white clouds. Despite being close to home, I couldn’t help but feel a profound sense of isolation, as if I were completely removed from civilization. Looking around, my attention was drawn to the discernable tracks snaking through the field, evidence of the massive farm equipment that had passed through. The sun’s gentle caress on my neck and the invigorating aroma carried by the soft breeze instantly made me feel relaxed. There was a sense of peace, as I experienced no anxiety, worry, or scattered thoughts. Scattered in the area were a few bones of a small animal, serving as a stark reminder of the harsh realities of nature. I rounded them up and consolidated them into one designated area outside the field. I guess my attempt at a burial, the scent of freshly turned earth mingling with the small sense of grief.

The tractor slowly emerged from behind the ridge, growing larger as it approached me. As he approached, he skillfully maneuvered the tractor, causing the planting apparatus to gracefully loop behind it. As I looked up, I realized the planter mechanism was barreling straight towards me, its metal wheels grinding against the soft dirt. As these things do not move quickly, I effortlessly sidestepped it and observed Brad heading up the hill for a last pass, before he eventually returned to where I was standing.

He arrived at my location, and I could tell that he had just completed planting corn in the field from the fresh scent of soil and the sight of neatly planted rows. Brad stopped abruptly, leaving the machine running, and climbed out of the tractor to introduce himself. The wheels towered above me, their height surpassing mine. Our correspondence had been limited to Instagram messages, text conversations, and one brief phone call.

I was surprised to see this high school age kid climb down from this $1 million dollar piece of equipment, walk over, and shake my hand. We chatted about what he was doing, how much that machine cost (well the tractor part). Then he mentioned they “just bought another one recently.”

Brad then told me he was planning on planting the field behind me next and invited me to come back when they trimmed all the tall grass for hay and cut silage. He said there will be a lot of activity then and many machines going at once. Super excited to do that if I can, just wonder if the news will have a story of photographer gets run over at local farm?

I had mentioned that his grandfather, Daryl, told me how rough farming we had been financially last time spoke. Brad stated, that “yeah it has been rough but since about 2021 things have got better and we have been making a profit.”

I explained to him I would shoot longer, then head home and send him my pictures of the day’s shoot. He later responded, after receiving them, that they were “really good”. He hoped back in the tractor and planted while I fired off various shots. I tasted the dust, saw the sun fall further in the sky, heard the wind blowing, and the hum of the John Deere faded as it drove further away from me. I took one more glance at the horizon, the blue skies, and finally the tractor off in the distance.

Satisfied with my experience, I climbed back into my car, retraced my path back around the field, across the creek, back to the gravel driveway and onto the highway. The 15-minute drive home was so relaxing. I looked to my right and saw Brad still driving and planting. My heart felt good, and this overactive mind was calm.

This experience today has helped me produce a few shots I plan to print and frame. I currently have another one. I convinced Marcie to let me print quite large and display in our bedroom from the time I went to Hauswald farm one fall. They were cutting the corn down. That photo I am referencing, and plan to print, speaks to me and gives me a sense of peace. I told Mark, and he stated, “it will be nice to wake up every morning and see your work hanging on your wall.”

Driving back home, the breeze flowed through the open sunroof and the setting sun cast a warm glow in my rearview mirror, evoking a bittersweet mix of joy and sadness. There was a bittersweet feeling within me as I had this experience today, similar to the previous ones. It made me reflect on the fading tradition of farming, as I watched the farmers toil in the fields. What was once meticulously crafted by hand is now effortlessly produced by state-of-the-art million-dollar equipment. Their equipment, although advanced, is mostly automated in certain cases. Last time I was there, Daryl assured me, “Just program them in and they practically drive themselves.”

What will be missed is the farmers, their knowledge, their way of reading the weather, the soil conditions, and their conversation. I am lucky to have shared a few conversations with Daryl, and one with his grandson Brad, on this day. If I can still walk and take pictures, I hope they continue to have me. If nothing else, I am sure they get a kick out of this idiot standing in the field with a camera.

Until next time,

Tim