Eye of the Farmer

During an evening drive on October 11th, I spotted this combine outside of Norway, Iowa. It's harvest season in Iowa, but the corn and soybeans have remained in the fields longer than usual due to the excessive rainfall we've experienced over the past few months. The corn is especially white because of the delayed harvest, creating a beautiful contrast against the changing colors of the trees. Normally, the crops would be gone by now, leaving behind bare, brown fields. With a break in the rain for the first time in a while, I wanted to see if I could find some combines kicking up dust in the fields at sunset.

When I first looked at this photo, I imagined what farming on Mars might look and feel like. It also reminded me of a scene from The Lord of the Rings. More than anything, though, I was happy to find such a great spot outside Norway, where I could capture the combine silhouetted against the sunset, with its arm positioned perfectly in the bright white center of the setting sun.

Fall is one of the best seasons in Iowa. The trees and fields seem to change overnight, and we can finally leave the windows open. Living in Iowa, we get to experience all four seasons. We see Mother Nature in all four of her forms. Each season, like a corner of the mind, follows a different rhythm and serves a different purpose.

For farmers, understanding those rhythms is part of their livelihood. Each season brings its own responsibilities, and when one doesn't go as expected, the effects can carry into the next. This year's excessive rainfall has delayed the harvest, introducing new challenges and uncertainties into a process that already depends so heavily on timing. It's a reminder that while the seasons may follow a familiar cycle, no two years are ever quite the same.

When your livelihood depends on the weather and understanding your role in each season, perhaps it's not such a bad thing to see the world through the eyes of a farmer.