1.31

Winter is in full force here in Iowa! We’ve had a few good blizzards and just this past weekend had our first run with ice. We’ve spent the month really narrowing down our “pre-storm plan” and I think we’ve got it down pretty well. The kids don’t really love going out during or after the storm to get to the animals but they’ve learned preparing for the store BEFORE is a lot better than trying to get buckets of water out DURING a storm!

In town we would prepare for a snow by making sure the shovels are by the back door, a quick grocery store run and making sure the snow blower was ready. We would wait until the city crews came by then we would head out to do the rest of the work cleaning the driveway and sidewalk. That’s not the case on the farm.

We watch the weekly weather daily and our potbelly pig gives us the biggest notice of weather change- he is usually seen about 24 hours before stocking up his man cave with sticks. We make sure the tractors are ready, skidloaders accessible, everything is fueled up and most importantly- the generator is ready if needed. I make sure that I do a good grocery run before hand, once a storm comes- I plan on not leaving a few days after. I’ve hit the age where I don’t find zipping all over gravel roads and drift busting as much fun as I did in my 20’s. I’ll happily stay home and just have good food ready for those on the farm that do have to leave. Waiting for a maintainer to go by is nothing like it was waiting for a city plow. Now we don’t move until we’ve seen some neighbor’s trucks go down the road- which can take a long time.

Overall, it’s worth all the work. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing the snow fall onto our fields, watch the pine trees get covered in snow and watching the little bunnies scurry around the yard during the snowfall. The view out my windows are breathtaking- every day.