Allyssa Miller of Zimmerman Harvesting
My cousin, Audra, and her husband, Andy, asked if I’d be interested in going on harvest with them this summer. I just graduated from high school, so I thought it’d be a great way to earn some college money and see new places. My family doesn’t farm, so the only experience I had was a little bit of wrenching in the shop with Dad, walking through a local seed company’s wheat fields to pull out off-type wheat (not the most fun summer job) and a work ethic expected of me by my parents. Andy and Audra tried all summer to convince me to make my posts public and I never did; however, I was asked to share this one with all of you.
(HarvestHER side note…Allyssa has already agreed to provide harvest updates next summer for us. 
POST:
Harvest Day 45: I’ve helped harvest about 1650 acres and now I’m heading home to the hoosier state with Andy’s family before college starts. I’ve had a lot of fun this summer, but I’m ready to be home and see my friends and family! My family doesn’t farm at home, so I learned a lot too. Throughout the summer, I made a list of things I learned about life on a harvest crew. Some are serious and others pretty funny (if they don’t make you laugh, I apologize that you don’t share my odd sense of humor
Your attitude, mood, what you do, and just life in general revolves around the weather. I’ve never been so conscious of the weather before! At home it’s little more than a conversation starter; on harvest, weather is life.
The only thing you can plan on is your plans changing. They may not change until the very last minute or they might change 10 times, but I can almost always guarantee they WILL change!
You have to enjoy the small things in life like ice for your water jug, friendly smiling faces in a new town, a good country radio station that comes in clear in a field, and a delicious hot meal (even if it is eaten while standing in a field).
When driving a combine or tractor on roads, stop signs magically turn into yield signs. Also, when driving machinery through town (which Andy and I did in North Platte) the song “International Harvester” is so accurate it’s scary! If you’ve never heard that song, look it up just for a laugh!
When something goes wrong or not as planned, find the humor in it: you can laugh or go insane; the choice is yours.
The people of the farming community are the most helpful, genuinely kind people I’ve ever met! Working for farmers that become your friends and who appreciate what you do makes harvest worth it; it feels great to do a good job for good people! Even the relationship between the farmer and harvester tends to be more about helping each other for the mutual benefit than it is about individual monetary gain. Also, not to stereotype, but from what I’ve observed most farmers/harvesters are Christian. Personally, I think it’s because their job requires a great deal more faith than most. It’s a very DEPENDENT career; you depend on crew members for help, the farmer/harvester you’re working with for jobs and info about them, other drivers on the road for safe moving days, the weather, and essentially God.
During rain days, your level of boredom depends on three things: the size of the town you’re in, how many other people are on Facebook at that time, and whether or not there’s wifi, cable, or both where you’re staying.
“Bird is the Word” is actually a real (and I dare say, DUMB) song with a music video and everything! If you need a laugh or have an urge to annoy everyone within earshot, this is another one to look up!
In order to prove that we can’t always be put in the “dumb farmer” category, we make up ridiculously complex terms like “implements of husbandry” to describe farm equipment on DOT permits.
It’s an unspoken rule that all equipment and trailers have to be parked facing the road, perfectly straight, and in an even row.
Truck drivers are SUPER important! Without them, the combine and grain cart can only do so much and it really slows things down. (So thank you, Arnaldo & Alec!)
Allyssa M. Miller
My Life Verse: Philippians 4:13
1. Be ready to go at the drop of a hat...sometimes without a lunchbox.
2. Has removed the word impossible from her vocabulary!
3. Can hold a baby, take care of a toddler and drive a tractor or combine all at the same time.
4. Must be able to cook for a crew - large or small.
5. Must be able to read minds.
6. Must be able to banter with a parts man until he realizes you DO know what you're talking about.
7. Must be the entertainment director for those rainy days.
8. Be a wife, mom, friend, helper, cook, problem solver, taxi driver or extra crew hand at all times.
9. Can handle the call that makes you react, "You need what? When?" Dropping everything you're doing to make it happen.
10. At the end of the day say, "I really do love this life".