Melissa Kenny – Jonel Farming
Well here goes…
I didn’t think I had anything interesting to contribute to this wonderful page but I guess that’s the beauty of it…sometimes an ordinary day might be worth writing about even if it gives one person an insight into a different world.
We are small South Australian farmers. We crop around 1,500 acres with wheat, barley and lentils. Crops are all planted in May (just before winter) and harvested in November/December (start of our summer). We do all of the planting and harvesting ourselves and each year try to also pick up a bit of contract cutting to help with our combine payment.
It’s a fantastic lifestyle but seeding and harvest are definitely crazy time!
At the moment, we are flat-out trying to reap as much wheat as we can before the huge downpour which is forecast for the day after tomorrow. Thankfully, we have all of our lentils off and in storage – a huge relief!
This year, I haven’t contributed much towards harvest at all as I struggle to juggle a toddler, a baby, the paper side of the farm and all of the other bits and pieces (the house, meals, etc). We are very lucky to have an awesome Aunty, Uncle and Papa, though, who, alongside our truck driver, work tirelessly during this period to help us out!
Today is normally the day I go into town to do the grocery shopping and take the kids to swimming lessons or kindergym but we’ve got a bit of a cold so we have to stay away this week.
Of course, my husband knows I’m at home today so I’ve just received a call to drop “urgent” parts out to the field. In true HarvestHER fashion, I’ve packed plenty of food and drinks for the kids because this quick delivery will surely, as it always does, turn into a days work and have us home in just enough time to slap together some dinner! That’s the beauty of farming though…it’s unpredictable – you can be sure to never get bored!
8pm update:
Ahh…the kids are now in bed. What a day! It was warm out there (around 96-98F)! Some sheep escaped from the neighboring paddock onto the road so I “helped” (I’m not sure I was that much help) get them back in. Then, moved a bin up from the other farm and, with the help of my husbands Aunty, set that up for extra storage in the field so that, hopefully, the boys can go non-stop late into the night and get as much grain off as possible before the moisture gets too high (our delivery threshold is 13.5%). As expected, the kids and I didn’t leave the field until around 4pm (so much for a quick trip) but I did get to drive the “good” tractor for the first time today! I also got a chance to take some photos while I waited to meet the truck driver to go over some things.
Hopefully, they can get a good night’s cutting in and a productive day tomorrow before the crazy weather to come!
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".
