Harvest time on the farm is like the grand finale of a yearlong performance. The fields were planted and tended all through the spring and summer with lots of hard work and eager anticipation. Now the combines are prepped, and the grain carts are hooked up for the final steps to the reward of the yield. The farmer wakes with a renewed purpose to head out to the fields to let the fruits of his labor roll in through the rotating headers. And as this all unfolds, there stands beside him, the farmer’s wife.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word, farmwife, as “the farmer’s wife,” but she is so much more. I think of the stories my grandmother tells of being raised by her grandmother on the family farm in Posen during the 1940s. Every morning, she would prepare breakfast for the men before they headed out to milk the cows. Her days were filled with keeping the house in order, tending to the animals, cooking hearty meals, and making sure everyone stayed on track. When it came time to harvest potatoes, the men would travel from farm to farm, digging the crop from the soil. Meanwhile, the wives gathered in kitchens and yards, preparing meals and watching over the children. They carried the weight of the day-to-day so the harvest could be brought in without interruption.

What does the farm wife of today look like? Not so different than my great-great-grandmother was then. She’s often the household manager juggling cooking, cleaning, and family schedules which can be even more challenging during harvest time. Multi-tasker at her finest, she can bounce a baby on her hip while on the phone with the parts guy finding a replacement for the bolt that sheared in the field.

Melissa Werth, of Werth Dairy, said, “Having spent 30 years of harvest seasons with my husband, I have learned that the harvest comes first. Your daily schedules are different during this time because he works long hours. Being understanding of this lifestyle and knowing that this busy season is only temporary keeps you positive and, in the end, it’s not just about harvesting food for your cattle, it’s about cultivating a life together.”

Courtesy Photo Melissa and Corby Werth of Werth Dairy pose for a photo.

The farm wife is the meal manager which, during harvest, means it’s on the go. How can you get spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread into the crock pot and wrapped in foil to drive a few miles north to find him in the back field? Don’t worry, she’ll find away. With paper plates, a hatchback picnic, and paper towel napkins.

“My role as a farmer’s wife is to help support him,” said Kim Prevo, of Prevo Farm. “From taking care of the kids, getting them to their extracurriculars, maintaining the household, ordering parts, bringing meals out to the field. It all comes down to a lot of teamwork, a lot of patience, and a lot of praying. But, to see the gratification my husband has in the work he does and the example he is setting for our children, makes all the stress and sacrifices during harvest worth it.”

The farm wife is on call, up for anything farm support. She can hop in and drive the tractor, feed the livestock, run for parts, and flag down the equipment that’s one mile south of that big rock on the corner of this road or that. Many farm wives of today are behind the wheel of the combine themselves or following along with the grain carts right alongside as the corn falls from the spout.

“I help work the fields during the spring, getting them ready for planting,” said McKenna Timm, of Chuck Timm Farms. “I try to help as best as I can during harvest, running him dinner or helping him move from one field to the other. My husband is the hardest working man I’ve ever known, working every day to keep the family farm going.”

She’s also the emotional anchor during the chaos of the season. When the combine breaks down or a storm rolls in unexpectedly, it’s her voice saying, “We’ll figure it out.”

Courtesy Photo Combines at work in the field bringing in the harvest.

The kitchen light stays on late into the night to make sure he gets home safely. She rides out to the field to sit along side him on a turned over five-gallon bucket, so he stays awake to finish those last couple passes. When the harvest feels like forever, she keeps everyone strong and focused until the end. As the last loads roll in and the bins are filled to the brim, she breathes a sigh of gratitude and relief.

Like the generations before them, the farmer and his wife have finished the season strong and together. During this harvest, the farm wives of Northern Michigan will be ready to put on all the extra hats of the season. Meals will be made, parts will be delivered, and a light will be left on. The harvest will be brought in, and the fields will be laid to rest for winter.

As Kim Prevo says, “God willing, we will do it all over again next year, and as a farmer’s wife, I will proudly be right by his side.”

Bryanna Beyer is a local farmer with a passion for educating others about agriculture. She and her husband Collin operate Beyer Farms in Alpena. To reach her, email beyer_farms@outlook.com.

Courtesy Photo The Prevo children wait for the combine to come to the end of the field to deliver a meal.

Bryanna Beyer