Farm pics

Looking south from the homestead there's soybeans in the foreground and corn in the background.

Evergreen in the foreground, sweetcorn in the center and soybeans in the distance.

Pretty much the same shot but over a little. The patch of grass you see running up the middle of the bean field is called a waterway. In heavy rain the soil between the corn and bean plants can't hold all of the water. Waterways slow down the water and prevent soil erosion.

We have a mixture of trees on the farm. The older trees in the background are deciduous (lose their leaves in the fall) while the pine trees stay nice and green all winter long.

Years ago dad planted dozens of soft pine trees in our backyard. They take decades to grow to full height. A neighbor commented that Dad must have a pretty optimistic outlook on life to plant these at retirement age. I know it is his way of leaving the place better than he found it.

I was going to close with what I thought was a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, "If I knew the world would end tomorrow, I'd still plant a tree." Apparently, I've made that quote up because I can't find it.

My apologies, Ralph.