Sunday, March 22, 2009

Winter Corn??? I got punk'd!!!!

Yes! Winter corn! Never heard of it? Well, even as a farm girl there were things that I had a difficult time understanding. My dad, a farmer, planted spring wheat - which in itself is a strange phenomenon since it's planted in the late fall. Soybeans - planted in the spring, harvested in fall. Milo & sorghums - planted in the spring, harvested in the fall. Corn planted in the spring, harvested in the fall. My question: if wheat can be planted in the fall, slumbering in the ground until spring when it wakes up & starts peeking out of the ground - then why not plant a crop of corn in the fall, let it rest during the snow of winter & wake up in the spring? It would be like having a bumper crop!
Here's the rub. My dad explained to me why "winter corn" was not "an option" in the midwest (or anywhere?)..... but when Jerry and I drive down the Interstate in early spring and see the barren fields waiting to be plowed & sown.... just when I think the landscape looks so depressing all the sudden there would be fields of green.... not a lot of green but just enough to liven things up a bit. Fields of spring wheat. Even tho' I KNOW why winter corn can't be grown, I still persist in annoying Jerry asking, "I don't see any winter corn, do you?". He groans!
If you remember a week ago we went to Kansas to visit my parents & spend some quality time on the farm. We attended the 50th birthday party of the guy who has been farming my dad's farm while we were there. (Probably mentioned the birthday party, too.) Anyway, after spending the evening visiting with old friends & neighbors Jerry & I prepared to head back to the farm. As we were getting ready to walk out the door to leave, Jerry told me I should say goodbye to the birthday boy who was involved in conversation with two or three others. I told him that I didn't want to interupt & we should just leave - but he insisted. So I waited until there was a break in the conversation then told BB (birthday boy) thanks for letting us barge in on his party (we weren't actually invited, just tagged along with my parents) and wished him Happy Birthday again. He thanked us for coming out, then with a straight face, asked me to tell my dad that he (BB) was thinking about putting in some winter corn this year - maybe that would boost their profits having two crops of corn! My jaw dropped & I could feel my face getting red! Behind me, Jerry was having a hard time not falling to the floor laughing at his practical joke. He & BB had punk'd me!
On the drive back to the farm Jerry confessed that while I was visiting with old friends he had gone to get a drink, pulling BB aside & getting him to play along. Jerry said as he was explaining the joke to BB he could tell that BB wasn't sure if HE was getting punk'd or if I was! It was obvious that BB enjoyed the joke as much as Jerry.
Hope this doesn't get around the local coffee shops back home! :o)

1 comment:

  1. That was just not fair! But funny none the less. He hee...

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