This Week In Ag #182
25 years ago this week, we all remember where we were. For me, the most vivid memory was a few days later.
I was farming with Dad, and we had just started cutting soybeans. The field, owned by my wife’s family, was next to a busy interstate, I-74. After working my day job (in ag marketing), I went to relieve Dad on the combine.
Pulling into the field, a sense of awe came over me. I soon became choked with emotion.
Dad had mounted a large US flag to the grain platform of the combine. A stout breeze showcased Ole Glory in all her majesty. A Norman Rockwell painting couldn’t begin to do it justice.
Noise from the interstate was deafening, as a steady sound of horns trumpeted from passing vehicles. People weren’t just waving from their inside vehicles, they were rolling down their windows and pumping their fists. Many folks stopped along the road and waved; some even took photos.
It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced. And it went on for the duration of harvest. Props to that ole farmer whose simple act of patriotism touched so many people, during a time when we all needed healing, a quarter century ago.
I’ll always be proud of that guy.
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