I was invited with my fiancé, Emily Granholm (Paw barista!), to tag along with John Springer to learn how corn is harvested here in Anson County. John gave me his permission to share the video I made and I think it’s very interesting to see corn harvesting up-close.
Many of us take for granted where our food comes from and a large part of our food supply comes from growers like John. I believe people like him are valuable to our way of life, and what they do isn’t easy to see or appreciate. He operates his farm solely by himself. He is resourceful, inventive, mindful and caring. In this video, John is harvesting non-GMO corn which requires more effort and more costs to produce than the GMO varieties. John is using a 1996 New Holland TR88 combine, a 1970s GMC truck and a 1950s International Harvester tractor. He and his farm showcase what one person can do if he or she has the right experience, properly maintains their equipment, works hard and has fortunate weather.
This particular corn is some of the best harvested this year because it was planted at just the right time for the plants to make benefit of rains. Corn planted at other times didn’t yield as much this year. In fact, sometimes the yield is so low it isn’t worth trying to harvest.
Because it’s a competitive commodity market, something as simple as the day you plant the seeds can make a huge difference in yields. in fact, the weather is one of the most formidable and unpredictable components of farming and it can often make or break a farm. Many farm operations have failed due simply to poor luck regarding weather.
It’s also crucial that farmers like John are good mechanics because equipment can and often does fail and has to be fixed. John wears many hats to make it all work.
I feel that many people believe food producers are wealthy or getting rich because they often see large new farm machinery going up and down the road. Or they just see things from a consumer perspective. Getting out in the field gives a very different impression than going to a grocery store or even the state fair.
John’s operation strikes me as quite humble in comparison to larger farms out West and I think that is a lesson in several ways. You don’t have to have million-dollar machines and lots of debt to produce value. It’s surprising what can be done with 25-, 40- and 70-year-old machines and a little know-how.
I am thankful he invited us to see how this work is done and that he is willing to share with all of you.