Usually by this time of year, it's almost impossible to drive any distance without seeing farmers and their workers labouring tirelessly to harvest crops as the impending onset of fall beckons to the cold winter.
Of course this season has been anything but “usual.”
While harvest operations are slowly but surely coming along, many farmers are finding themselves frustrated by the frequent rainfall that continues to delay their efforts, essentially throwing the proverbial wrench into the gears.
Consequently, whenever the clouds part and the conditions dry adequately, agricultural producers find themselves scrambling to make the most out of every available moment before the storm clouds inevitably gather again to unleash more seemingly relentless rain, which will over the coming weeks become snow.
That means whenever there's a dry day or two, farmers will undoubtedly be capitalizing on the opportunity to gather as much of their crops as possible, and that in turn means moving some heavy equipment along the way.
In other words, whenever motorists notice they haven't used their windshield wipers for a little while, that might be a cue to keep their eyes peeled for heavy farm machinery on the roads. Farmers whenever possible tend to use the back roads but occasionally must venture out onto the highways.
As such they should as much as possible be accommodated and extended every courtesy by regular traffic. Passing lumbering mechanical mammoths that can be hard to see around at the best of times might not always be worth the risk and sometimes simply slowing down while giving some space is the sagest course of action.
Some, nay many, of our roads in the foothills are bendy and hilly with tree cover to boot, often making it hard to see what might be around the corner or on the other side of that hill. We've all got somewhere to be, but let's not ruin that by making, for example, an unsafe pass and putting those plans on hold, perhaps permanently.
Besides, chances are the farm equipment won't be travelling down the highway for long, as their drivers are generally just hopping from one quarter section to another.
Farm operators and their employees are going to be stressed enough trying to do more work with less time this rainy harvest season — the last thing they need is additional stress caused by reckless or inconsiderate motorists.
But if not for their sake, then consider for your own sake the fact even a fair-sized pickup or SUV won't fare particularly well in a collision with the likes of a combine. In fact it's no contest.
So we at the Round Up would like to encourage everyone to do their bit to ensure a safe, successful and speedy harvest for our farmers and their families as well as their labourers.
— Simon Ducatel, editor
