Faith, Farming, and Fall Harvest

by Krista Norton and Michele Boy | October 13, 2022

Krista - I headed to the Bear Creek Community to see how farming is going. With wheat planting complete, fall harvest going and our county in an emergency drought, I hoped I could find some farmers in the field to talk with. 
I pulled into a familiar farmstead, the home of Ed and Barb Westeman. I visited this farm often with my Grandma Anna Buhrle, her good friend was Ed’s grandmother, Bessie. 
My first sight was a combine with one of the doors on the side propped open. My first thought was, this may not be a good time. There could be something wrong, and they may not have time to talk. 
As I parked at the house, I was greeted by a long-time friend, Barb Westeman accusing me of being lost but when I told her my article idea, we walked to the combine and found her husband Ed and daughter, Alyse Houston finishing tightening a chain before they headed to the field. 
I find farmers don’t really want to be quoted or featured in the paper. You see, they are humble and are just doing what they do. But it does not take long after many questions for them to open up.  
My question was, “Why do you keep doing what you do when Mother Nature has not been as cooperative as you would have liked?”
Ed replied, “That’s where your faith comes in, in God and getting the next rain.It’s nice when it works out.” Barb adds, “If you did not have faith, you would not be farming.”
Alyse is a large part of their farming operation. “It’s my mom’s fault, I would be in the house bugging her and she would tell me to go help my dad and I found it was more fun playing in the scrap iron pile than it was to dust and do dishes,” adding, “I like to learn how things work, taking things apart and putting things back together.”
Alyse and her husband Josh have three children and while they strive to instill a good work ethic in their children, raising them on the farm, she says, “My greatest hope I have for my children is that they love Jesus, and beyond that it’s just window dressing. I do not want to project for my kids what I want them to do for a living.”  
Barb adds, “They are already like their mom because they like to spend time in the shop playing or trying to build something.”  
The roots are deep at the Westeman farm, Ed’s great grandfather homesteaded in the Bear Creek community in 1886. “That was the time this area was being settled, it was not too far to dig for water, unlike up north, and at that time, there were springs in this area.” 
Knowing I was holding up harvest, I looked at the clock and it was 11:30.Alyse had planted wheat that morning, Ed delivered a load of steel, for his second occupation, Westeman Steel. And Barb was needing to get some lunch on the table. 
Following lunch, the three of them will head to the field, Ed on the truck, Barb on the grain cart and Alyse on the combine to cut some irrigated corn.
It’s been dry enough and warm enough that farmers have not had to wait on a frost to dry it down. 
Michele - And the rest of the county? As we know harvest can vary widely from field to field based on a number of conditions including rainfall, wind, timing of planting, seed variety and more.
For many one round in and  they were on the phone with the insurance adjuster. Others stubbornly persevered for a few hours before realizing it wasn’t going to make ten bushels. 
Kandice Westeman commented, “We started milo harvest this morning. I think where we’re at will make around 30 bu/acre, it’s our best looking field. The next location, which is also in the southeast part of the county, might make 20-22. Our milo over in the southwest part of the county is in very poor shape. We are waiting to hear from the insurance adjuster to see if we even have to move our equipment over there to cut it. It’s just been too dry, for too long.”
While all the wheat planted in the county needs a rain, the fall harvest to the north is reporting better yields. Brian Grilliot reports the corn suffered due to lack of moisture but the big rains they received in late July and August made their corn harvest possible. They harvested 35 bushels per acre on one field and 29 bushels on another. They have just started on milo and it is looking good.  “It is wet but it is coming in between 50 and 60 bushels per acre.”
George Huser is not complaining as his milo harvest is doing well 15 miles north of Kendall
Heath Boy summed it up by saying, “You set yourself up to take advantage if it rains. And sometimes it doesn’t rain.”