Smith's Favorite Story of 2023
Connections and Friendships Made Through 20 Years of View From the Cab
Editor's Note:
December naturally has us thinking back over the year that was, including the stories we've created. So, we've again asked DTN/Progressive Farmer writers to think back on their year and choose a favorite story from the archive. They range from hard-hitting investigative journalism and national scoops to farm family features and fun discoveries made while traveling U.S. farm country. We hope you enjoy our writers' favorites, with today's story by DTN Crops Technology Editor Pamela Smith.
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DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Minnesota farmer Bob Worth wrote me last February and volunteered to put himself and Kansas farmer Keith Miller back to work. It had been 17 years since the two farmers served as DTN View From the Cab correspondents and they were holding their hands up again.
The note and their willingness to contribute says a lot about this ongoing feature we call View From the Cab.
Two farms are chosen in different geographical regions to tell their story on a weekly basis throughout the growing season. The series is special because it covers everything from the mundane of daily farm life, to the hilarious things that can happen on the farm, to the seriousness of things like estate planning and urban sprawl. It is the full meal deal of farm life presented in a depth that the news page doesn't always afford.
So, when asked to vote for my favorite story of the year, it will always be View From the Cab. Over the years, I've interviewed a lot of people with impressive titles, but those never stack up next to real, honest-to-goodness working farmers willing to talk to me about waterhemp, water pumps or wishes for more water. The story of the everyday will always be more interesting to me because within it lies extraordinary tales of resilience.
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This year's participants, Chandra and Mike Langseth, of Barney, North Dakota, and Zachary Grossman, of Tina, Missouri, provided incredible insights as young farmers trying to gain a foothold in the business of farming. We closed out their segments in early December, but are still texting and emailing back and forth, sharing things that happen and keeping the relationship alive.
And what's so cool about the series is the friendships that can develop between the farmers who participate. Worth and Miller are perfect examples. They became connected through View From the Cab and have cultivated a bond because of it.
I wrote a piece about the friendship between Miller and Worth after meeting up with them during Commodity Classic in February 2023. Find it here: https://www.dtnpf.com/…
All three of us got a little teary-eyed when our discussion turned to how important it is to have someone to talk to during emotionally tough times. Sometimes the best of friends come from the most unlikely connections and View From the Cab provided that touchpoint.
I've had readers tell me that they like this series because they learn about farming in different regions. I've had others say that they like it because they identify with the farmers.
This coming year will mark 20 years of this series we call View From the Cab. To celebrate, I've been googling into the way-back and search for those who have participated in the early years to see how their lives have changed and where they are now.
We're also taking applicants for a new season. Want to apply? Send a short summary of why and some details about your farming operation to pamela.smith@dtn.com.
Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorite features from this past season. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
-- From a broken combine windshield to getting locked inside the tractor cab -- sometimes you just can't make up the stuff that happens during farm operations:
-- Learn why soybeans often get harvested first on these farms: https://www.dtnpf.com/…
-- The business of farming with Dad makes for interesting discussion:
Pamela Smith can be reached at pamela.smith@dtn.com
Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PamSmithDTN
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