55 Years And Counting From The Tractor Seat

By bill whitman 

Every day I hear stories of farmers and ranchers who display the heart and soul of agriculture. Recently, I heard of the passing of a man who had shared his story of gratitude about the same time I saw a posting on Facebook from a farmer I’m acquainted with in Illinois with his statement of thankfulness. It is remarkable to me that stories like these two show the depth of the determination of the farmers’ and ranchers’ spirit and their gratefulness for a second chance in life.

One of the nicest men I have ever known in agriculture was Tim Dewey from Cimarron, Kan. How many times I heard him say “Every day is a good one” is what I will remember most of all. I knew Tim from the cattle feed business, specifically forage grinding. A tough business on the best of days but I never heard him be anything but positive.

Tim’s obituary described him as “legendary (and) admired for his integrity, quiet strength and willingness to lend a hand to neighbors and friends alike.” Quiet strength, that’s how my experience with Tim describes him best. It also describes the men and women that make up the backbone of American agriculture. Tim’s obituary further talks about his deep feeling that farming and ranching was his “calling.” For those of us, and there are less than 700,000 farmers and ranchers left in the country, farming is a calling. Even those I know who have left farming have a feeling of loss, like they can’t fill the void in their souls that only farming (ranching) filled.

Another guy that I’ve come to admire is Eric Tate in Paris Ill. Eric farms with his family along with selling some used equipment along the way. I got to know Eric several years ago when I purchased an International wing disk from him. My experience with buying used equipment is that I generally have to spend even more money fixing and replacing parts and freeing up rusted bearings, etc. What was unique in this case was Eric delivered the disk and it was greased and field ready. In the intervening years, I have purchased other equipment, and every piece was better than I could ever have expected. Old International baler went straight to the field and we put up 450 bales without a miss. Again, I expected to have to work out bugs, but Eric had already done it. Obviously, I encourage anyone in Illinois and Western Indiana to give Eric a look, but I digress.

To me, both men exemplified a willingness, maybe a sense of responsibility, that we don’t see off the farm anymore. In Tim Dewey’s case, I remember asking him how he stayed so positive, even when things went wrong. In Eric Tate’s case, I saw a biography on Facebook that gave a slant that got my attention. In both men’s cases, they had faced health challenges that threatened to shorten their lives considerably. Both had received organ transplants, decades ago, and a second chance at life that gave them a sense that they owe their best life and for decades they have delivered on that obligation in spades.

When I spoke to Eric recently, in that humble personality he carries himself with, that he knows that God blessed him. During his health trials, Eric met the Lord in a very real way. Tim Dewey told me virtually the same thing 15 years ago.

There’s a stark difference between the way these two farmers as well as several others I know approach their lives as opposed to some people I know from the city do. On the farm, we tend to appreciate blessings while city people want more. My wife and I were talking recently about a man we knew that had received a liver and kidney transplant and from the first two weeks wanted to give them back. Why, because when he was on dialysis, he had more social involvement than when he didn’t have an excuse to leave his apartment three times a week. Larry was a good guy but didn’t use the blessing to bless others. I am reminded that before Job was restored to prominence in his life, even after coming into a right relationship with God, Job first had to make sacrifices for his three friends. When he became a servant, God blessed him with twice as much as he started with. Tim and Eric both would say that they have been blessed many times over.

Perhaps each of us needs to be reminded that we are blessed with opportunity to do something good every day. I know I need to.

Horse Sense: Did you ever think about the fact that every day we get chased by sunset which is the most beautiful sight of the day?

IndianaAg@bluemarble.net