by Carie Moore
Today is the first day of summer break. The weather doesn't feel “summery” and that transition from my kids being at school to being home every day didn’t happen. We are all creatures of habit and we depend on holidays, life events and even the cyclical nature of normal things that happen in a year to help us move from one phase to another.
The past few years have brought a lot of challenges for spring’s work and harvest, not only in North Dakota, but across the nation. And with various issues still lingering, we are all getting frustrated. Most of us are behind. Our brains are not focused on what we are doing. There are a million other things on top of the hundreds of things we are already thinking about in farming. While we need to concentrate on the task at hand, so many times we are already thinking about the next job.
This last weekend, we knew the weather was going to be nice. We were going full steam, getting ready to go to the field. My fertilizer applicator needed a new hose, so I was cutting a replacement. I knew my blade was dull, because I had complained earlier, while cutting a smaller hose, that I needed a new blade. The big fertilizer applicator hose also has other material in it to hold its shape and strength. I was at the end of the cut and I couldn't get through the material with my dull blade. So, I forced it. The blade slipped and went right into my other forearm. Down to the tendon.
I ended up making a trip to the emergency room for the first time in 10 years and left with five stitches in my arm. Now I can't grip or hold or carry any weight. It also affects my tractor driving since the shifter and hydraulics and controls are on the right side. In hindsight, I should have gotten a saw, but I just wanted to get it done.
Although it was a relatively minor injury compared to many farm injuries, no matter what we are doing we need to remember that safety and time go hand-in-hand. In the end I lost time because I was in a hurry.
I know it sounds repetitive and simplistic but right now we all need to be sure to thank a farmer, thank a trucker and thank those who are providing your food, fuel, and fiber. Every day men and women all over the nation want to make sure that there is food for everyone in the months and years to come.
Carie Moore is a farmer and mom from Rocklake, N.D. She loves tractors, coffee and pigs (among other things). Follow her on Twitter at @tractors_coffee.