Our Rural Roots

Katie Pratt, Contributor

Harvest isn't truly done until we've gathered in the farm shop for our annual harvest dinner. My in-laws have been saying thank you like this for years. Everyone is invited, from the part-time harvest help who drove grain carts or trucks to the seed dealers, landowners, neighboring farmers and friends who weathered the chaos of another harvest season.

We call the caterer, send the invitations and take a good guess on the number attending. The farmers spend a few days cleaning the farm shop, washing away harvest dust and setting every tool back in its spot. We set tables and chairs, and decorate the shop in holiday greenery.

On the night of the dinner, entire families arrive. We've taken to setting up a kids' corner with games, puzzles and craft supplies. However, these kids -- most of them true country kids -- prefer to run wild outdoors regardless of the late-fall weather.

We take up a lot of space, eat a lot of great food and talk a lot about -- what else -- farming and harvest. This year, I'm sure the conversation will focus on the fields attacked by hail and wind midsummer, then heat in late summer and finally drought in early fall. In the same breath, we'll celebrate the yields we didn't expect from fields that caused us to lose hope.

We'll marvel at the fact that harvest is truly done. Every year, we seem surprised when we can say harvest is over as if it is a never-ending season. But, every year, it does conclude -- and with the telling of embarrassing mishaps that may have fallen upon one or more of our harvest crew.

Did I mention we laugh -- a lot?

The harvest dinner is our final farewell to another year and a celebration of what makes this farm possible: the people.

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-- Katie Pratt writes and shares her love of agriculture and family from a north-central Illinois farm. Find her writing blog at https://theillinoisfarmgirl.com/…

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