Kylee DeBock – DeBock Harvesting
One thing about harvest is you do not have to worry about getting bored doing the same thing everyday.
We have been on harvest for sixteen years and I can say, with absolute certainty, there has not been two years alike…heck, there hasn’t been two days alike! But that is what makes harvest, harvest I guess!
It takes a certain type of person to be a Harvester, a person that can be okay with the plans changing 47 times in a matter of a few hours. A Harvester must have faith in God because, let’s be honest, if you don’t have faith, you wouldn’t be on the harvest run! A Harvester must have a strong work ethic, because nothing we do comes easy! A Harvester must have patience…and a lot of them! Their patience will be tested with the weather, hired hands, kids, farmers, and breakdowns (and maybe their wife). Harvesters are trustworthy. The farmers allow us onto their farms with their livelihood in our hands. We must do our best to get the crops out as effectively and efficiently as possible. I could go on and on about the characteristics of a Harvester but these few that I have mentioned are quite noble! “MY” Harvester most definitely possesses these qualities mentioned above and so much more.
I want to take a second to tell Dillon, “Thank you!” As I sit here reflecting over the last eighteen years, it makes me appreciate him more than I could ever express.
I have learned so much from him. I know it may sound sappy, but I have become a better person just because of Dillon. When Dillon and I got married in 2004, I was a country girl but I was NOT a farm girl and, believe me, there is a difference. I was not afraid of hard work (thanks, Daddy, for teaching me what hard work looks like) or getting my hands dirty, but I didn’t know anything about harvesting.
Dillon never sheltered me from the day-to-day tasks. There was no playing the “girl card”. From the very beginning of our relationship, Dillon included me in all the decision-making. I was on a learning curve but he was patient with me and didn’t make fun of me when I asked a “dumb question”. He would answer it with love and teach me about the question at hand.
Harvest was a new and exciting adventure for me when we left our first year. I still remember taking my VERY first meal to the field! I was so proud of myself! I made one 9×13 pan of Impossible Cheeseburger Pie, biscuits and dessert. We had six people on our crew. I got everything out and ready. Casey was there first and he said, “Is this it?” Not meaning to be rude but he was a growing 14-year-old boy and he was wondering what everyone else was going to eat because he could have eaten over half of it on his own! I grew up in a house full of girls. We would have eaten that for three days. But not growing teenage boys. I can now cook for a crew and everyone’s tummies are full.
I can remember calling my mom the first time I drove a semi (I didn’t know how to drive a standard). All I did was move it from one spot in the field to another, but I was super excited. And now…I have a CDL (Commercial Driver’s License)!
Dillon has taken time to teach me the ins and outs of harvest and farming. From doing the paperwork, maintenance, running the equipment, and even trading combines! Yes, I said trading combines. (I think some of the negotiating I may have learned from my Daddy, too) Last winter we needed to upgrade but we could not afford new machines. We just needed new to us. Dillon had found several but they just weren’t in our price range. He quit looking…so I went to work. I found some in Jeffersonville, Ohio!
Dillon thought I was nuts for looking that far away. But the price was good and they treated us even better! We even got four wheel drive put on, as well as delivered for no extra charge! We are still running these two combines and have had no problems! (There are always bearings and belts needing replaced but no MAJOR issues.) That was pretty exciting to do! We will definitely do business with Mayer Farm Equipment again!
We recently made our trip from Nebraska to Montana and it’s a long haul. We have to make two trips. So as soon as we got to Hardin, Montana, three people had to go back to get the second load. Dillon asked me if I wanted to be in charge of a Harvest crew or a Trucking crew…I chose the Harvest crew. So, the boys unloaded the equipment, refueled and headed back south. That left me and the little boys to take care of our next customer.
Luckily, the farmer has always done the hauling on this job so it worked out perfectly that Colston and I could do it by ourselves. Now, sixteen years ago had you told me that my husband would trust me with our combine alone, I would have said you were nuts! But here we are. Colston and I finished a 300 acre job of irrigated wheat all by ourselves!! I was pretty proud of us!
Once the boys got to Hardin with the second combine, it was headed straight to Havre, Montana for our next job. So, guess what? Dillon and the hands took off with that combine the very next day. I guess we did a good enough job on the first farmer because we got left here alone again to start the next one!
I remember getting upset with Dillon one day and told him, “You just expect too much from me!” His reply, “I don’t expect too much from you, because I know you are capable of what I am asking you to do.” At that very moment, it may seem strange but he was right. Just because I didn’t know how to do what he was asking, didn’t mean I was incapable of learning! I just had to be willing to do what he was trying to teach me. So many times I have been unsure or not confident in what he wants me to do, but if I trust him (and I do), I will learn something new.
Dillon has more faith and confidence in me then I do in myself most of the time. I am so glad he has taken the time to shape me into the FARM girl he needs! The amount of LOVE that I have for this man cannot be put into words. I hope he knows what he means to me and how much he is appreciated for all that he does for our family! I am so blessed to have a man in my life like you, Dillon DeBock, “THANK YOU, for taking the time to teach me so many new and exciting things. “THANK YOU” for always including me in our business. And, most importantly, “THANK YOU” for loving me unconditionally. You are my forever and always!
“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord” Proverbs 18:22
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves” Romans 12:10
