When I was a kid my dad used to show me little “tricks of the trade” on whatever project he was doing around our homestead. Whether he was teaching me the correct way to use a potato hook, or demonstrating how to place a stone just so to fill a hole in the driveway, or showing me the fastest way to pick a container of blueberries, he loved sharing the knowledge and techniques he had developed over the course of many years of working outdoors. At the time I probably rolled my eyes a fair bit, in typical kid fashion, at his frequent lectures and demonstrations. But now that my life revolves around getting things done efficiently on the farm his lessons come back to me again and again. Hooking up a chain, yup, dad taught me that. Yoghurt container on a string for hands-free picking, dad again! And I’ll never forget working on a piece of haying equipment soon after meeting our stoic mechanic Ellis, and getting a smile out of him with dad’s trick to stick a nut to your finger with a little grease in order to get it onto a hard to reach bolt!Lately, my dad has been helping out with haying at the farm as often as he can. In addition to being eternally grateful for all the hours he’s put in on the little Ford tractor and in the repair shop, it’s been really fun to have the chance to work side by side on so many projects. It feels like we have entered a new chapter of comradery, one in which we wave to each other as our two tractors cross paths in the hay field, or hand the socket wrench back and forth while repairing a piece of equipment together. I’ve even had the opportunity to return the favor and teach him a thing or two about growing vegetables! So thanks for all the tips, dad, and here’s to many more.
And now, on to the harvest!