'Half excited, half frightened'

The days are lengthening. The mercury is rising. The talk at bars, coffee shops and grain elevators is gaining urgency. Planting season is approaching, and a new round of opportunities and challenges is nearing. As one farmer told me recently, "I'm half excited and half frightened about what needs to be done."

He was exaggerating, of course, about being frightened; anxious or apprehensive would be a better description. But his basic point was true. Planting in the Upper Midwest is both satisfying and frustrating, and farmers have good reason to be ambivalent.

Most of the big decisions have been made already. Farmers generally know which crops they want to plant on which fields. They know the fertilizers and pesticides they'll use. They have a pretty good idea of what they want to do, and when they want to do it.

But the decisions are subject to change. Our volatile, unpredictable weather disrupts even the best plans. Warm or cool, wet or dry -- every day is in flux.

It's not just the weather, either. Equipment breaks down. Human beings get sick and have family emergencies.

Every day -- every hour, every minute -- is a juggling act. Sometimes two or three balls are in the air. Sometimes there are far more. The best farmers, the ones who most successfully manage constantly changing conditions, are the best jugglers.

Reward and satisfaction

Planting brings reward and satisfaction, as well as risk and frustration.

Agriculture is first and foremost a business. Making enough money to pay your bills and support yourself and your family is a priority. If you do a good job during planting, you increase your chances of turning a profit.

That's exciting -- and a little frightening.

Planting also allows agriculturalists to once again test themselves and their abilities. They know they face a challenge, and meeting it successfully reaffirms they're good at what they do.

That's exciting -- and a little frightening.

And planting is the start of the process in which farmers stick a seed in the ground and watch it grow, with the end result helping to feed people around the world.

That's exciting -- and a little frightening.

Let's be careful out there

A final observation:

Yeah, ag is first and foremost a business; turning a profit is essential. But agriculture's top priority -- today, tomorrow and forever -- is the safety of the people involved in it.

I know I'm preaching to the choir; Agweek readers fully understand the importance of safety. But I also know that mistakes happen, especially when we're tired or in a hurry.

There's so much to do and remember during planting. Farmers push themselves, physically, mentally and emotionally. They grow tired. They hurry. They make mistakes. Sometimes they get hurt.

Be careful. Stay safe.