Beware: Farmers on the Road

We live in an area where farming meets sprawling suburbia.  While this is neither good or bad it comes with different issues.  People just aren't used to farm equipment and don't have a complete understanding on how to drive on the road when there is big equipment.  Every spring and fall I get irritated about how people get upset at the tractors, sprayers, combines, etc that are on the road trying to move from one field to another.  Today reminded me how dangerous it can be when people are in a hurry and try to pass farm equipment.

My father in law was driving down a major road in a tractor that was hooked to a planter to get to a field opening.  My mother in law, Vince and I were sitting in the house watching him go down the road.  He was going to a field less than a mile from the house and had to drive on the road to get there.  By the time he got to the field opening that was on the right side of the road he had at least 10 cars behind him.  He had stopped and was waiting for oncoming traffic to be clear so he could swing into the left lane in order to be able to make a wide enough turn that he could get the planter in the field without hitting anything.  When he pulled into the left lane to make his turn 5 cars passed him on the right.  It was anyone's guess how many cars were going to pass because by now I am sure all of them wanted to and there were probably close to 10 cars that were still waiting.  If he didn't happen to see those cars before he turned several people would have been injured.

For the record, we don't enjoy driving our equipment down the road, we know that all the cars behind us get very frustrated with our slow pace, we know you all have somewhere to be and we are slowing you down.  Before you get mad and make hand gestures at us when you pass or say unkind words under your breath please remember that we are working hard so that you have food to eat, clothes to wear, and fuel in your car, toothpaste in your cabinet, shoes on your feet, etc.  Corn, soybeans, cotton, wheat and other crops that farmers all over this country grow are in many products you use everyday.  Click here to see all the ways corn is used.

So next time you are stuck behind a piece of farm equipment please don't follow too closely, be careful when you pass (and please do so on the left!), wave, give a little smile and remember we are just trying to do our job well (and as safe as possible) so that you have food to eat!