Farm country

I think time is in some sort of warp.  Here it is almost Christmas and it feels like we just barely moved.  Maybe that's because I haven't unpacked?  Then again maybe it is just because we've been busy.  Tom is on his last week of school.  He only has two days after today.  Bear has all next week of school.  I'm pretty sure we have another Christmas get together next week and we had one last weekend.  Then it will be Christmas.  Holy cow!  I still have some shipping to do but I think I have all the presents done.  I've got to double check.

The trains sure are busy this morning.  I've been hearing a couple go by for the last several minutes as I write this and drink coffee.  Luckily we aren't right next to the tracks.  I don't mind trains but there is so much train traffic here it could get old in a hurry.  It is not uncommon to get stuck waiting at a crossing around here.  Luckily there are lots of train crossing so when you get stuck with one when the train parks at the crossing people usually just turn around and go a different way.  There is even one section where the road goes over the tracks with an overpass as opposed to actually crossing at the track level.  It sure helps with traffic flow.

I'm impressed by the number of semi-trucks and trains.  You can tell that feed lots and farms are the main industry here.  My kids now know the difference between cattle trucks, corn trucks, and sugar beet trucks.  Right by us we don't get too many of the bean trucks but the beanery is about 30 miles away so that explains that.  We have the sugar factory here.  We also have at least 2 large feed lots within 10-15 miles that I know of and probably there are more.  Prevailing winds are a consideration when looking for a house around here. :)

I'm actually surprised how little we smell the sugar factory.  Once in awhile the wind shifts and it stinks up all of town but usually you only smell it when you are actually by the factory.  Gotta watch out for the beet pulp on one road too.  And all the trucks hauling sugar beets.  I think this year they harvested somewhere around 20 million tons of sugar beets.  I can't remember exact numbers.  I'm not so sure that was total or if that was just what was at our factory.  There is another factory for the same company only 30 miles away.  And there used to be two here in town.  Now the old one is just the lab. 

I find it all fascinating.  I love that on Sunday our newspaper puts out a Farm and Ranch section where I can catch up on how the beet, bean, and corn harvest is going.  What the drought is looking like.  And all sorts of other interesting tid-bits.  They usually list the auctions in that section too.  Our local NPR station has a whole harvest radio too.  Market reports around here are what corn futures are doing, butcher hogs, and soybean prices are doing.  I've yet to figure these out and how the pricing really works but it is interesting to listen to.

To say the least I'm happy to be back in farm country.  I like the mountains and all but farm country is what I know and love.  There tends to be a wonderful sense of community in farm country.  I'm not saying there isn't in the mountains but it seems the more open the country gets the more open the people get.  I'm not sure why.  I am enjoying the fact that when we meet someone though it is isn't, "Why did you move here?" it is "Welcome! We love it here because of ________."  There is always something different for each person but we don't hear about why they don't like it here we hear about why the do like it here.  It is nice.