A Day in the Life of Harvest from a Wife's Perspective
Nov 19, 2019
Who: June & Charley Rabenberg
What: Corn, Soybeans, Rye
Where: Britton, SD
Ever wonder what a day in the life of harvest is like from a farm wife’s perspective? June Rabenberg from Britton, South Dakota certainly knows. Born and raised on a dairy farm near Pierpont, June has been involved in agriculture her entire life. From the dairy operation to multiple types of livestock to crop inputs, June has seen many changes throughout her farming career.
June has always been very involved when it comes to farming, especially during harvest. “It’s all hands-on-deck. If you weren’t driving a semi, grain cart, or combine, you were taking lunch, giving rides, or picking up parts. I was always the go-getter.” Whatever they would need, June would be there. “When Mother Nature lets you harvest, you harvest. You need to be ready for whatever comes your way.”
With June and Charley’s son and daughter-in-law, Kirk and Andrea, moving home in 2014, June’s roles changed a bit – in a good way. “I came home the other night and Charley was looking at the iPad. I asked him how the combining was going. He checked the app and could tell me where the combine was and how it was running. It was awesome! Technology is a wonderful thing. It’s definitely the biggest change I’ve witnessed in agriculture…and I love it.”
The best part of having all 7 of their granddaughters on the farm? “I’ll never forget this. There was one day when I was walking over to the shop to get the lawn mower. I saw the girls walking across the muddy yard with their cute little ran boots on, following their dad in his rain boots. That was when I realized, ‘that’s what this farm was built for.’”
A huge thanks to June Rabenberg for taking the time to meet and for being our Producer of the Month! We hope you and your family have a safe and prosperous year.