Sean Dengler.

Harvest has always been my favorite part of farming. Riding in the combine and watching the crop feed into the combine is pleasurable. As the monitor shows the yield going up and down throughout the field, it is fun to watch. In years past, this was a suitable time to evaluate farm management decisions and see what practices are worth or not worth continuing.

As much as farm practices matter, more importantly, it comes down to Mother Nature. While not as bad as last growing season’s long drought, the lack of rain towards the end of this growing season hurt the soybean’s yield potential. For the observers of local elevators outdoor corn piles, this year’s corn crop is going to be big. The late dryness did not impact the crop nearly as much as the soybeans. On the other hand, the corn moisture was the lowest in my abbreviated time farming, ranging from 12-15%. To the non-farmers, this is too dry. The warmth and wind throughout harvest makes it not surprising to hear about field fires being more common this year. To those still harvesting, good luck, and I hope you get through the rest of harvest with no issues.

Another good part of harvest is the ‘combine thoughts’. Spending time in the combine harvesting and then dumping on the grain cart, wagon, and truck, makes for a time of reflection. Making rounds back and forth across the field as the sun rises and falls and hopefully, not seeing the moon rise, forces one to be with their thoughts.

During this last Dengler harvest, I reflected about my time farming and my connection to this community. All this farming life comes down to relationships. From those who I grew up with participating in plays and swing shows or playing sports with, who now became those I relied on. This included those parents of fellow school and Sunday school classmates I also see in the community. Most individuals I worked with through farming I have had a connection with for years. If this was not the case, someone in my family did. For those older than me, someone always had a tale or two about my family, which typically was about my grandpa, Vernon Dengler. These relationships and interactions are what made this a fun ride and the hardest part about “retiring.” It is a connection I do not want to lose, and I want to hold on to forever.

This was poetic to the very end. Our past truck, unfortunately, could not help us out this year. We were recommended Scott Karr. The first poetic part was I had been at a few gatherings with his daughters growing up and sharing mutual friends. The second, more significant part was his dad, Merle, who used to drive the milk truck that picked up the milk from my grandparents. These same milk cans which were touched by Merle and Vernon many years ago held loose corn this year.

This is rural Iowa for better or worse. No matter who you are or where you are from, each family generation has helped one another. It might not be perfect the entire time. For these small, tight-knit communities, it is necessary to keep working together. There are only so many who live in these communities.

With the help of different families spanning multiple generations, it was October 19, 2024. The wind blew through the tops of the tall pine trees above the meadow where sheep, calves, and maybe some hogs and chickens had roamed many years before on my grandparent’s farm. The sun was out, birds chirping, and a grain bin fan running in the distance setting up a perfect day for harvest. As the clock struck 12:20 p.m., the John Deere combine my dad drove took in the last crop to ever be grown by a Dengler. With the help of this community which has spanned over 100 years, the Dengler farm story has come to an end.

Sean Dengler is a writer, comedian, farmer, and host of the Pandaring Talk podcast who grew up on a farm between Traer and Dysart. You can reach him at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com.