Write Field: 'My Partner & My Friend'

When Peggy was still a new farm wife, I had to teach her many new skills. Early training included, among other things, hauling grain and topping beets. One thing she never needed instruction on, however, was negotiating.

This is a very dangerous time of the year for farmers. I encourage you to never let down your guard —and always look very busy.

My Partner & My Friend

With the holidays behind us

And taxes in the mail,

I thought there was some time to rest;

But all to no avail.

She caught me with my feet up,

Sitting by the fire,

Paging through my wish book,

For things that I desire.

I wanted a new Arctic Cat.

Our old one is quite dead.

Or maybe a new fishing boat

For summer time instead.

My motorcycle’s kind of old,

My shotgun’s pretty bad.

The list grew on and on ’til it

Took every buck I had.

I didn’t see it coming,

I never would have guessed

That I could get so cornered

When she was at her best.

“You know,” she said, “our kitchen

Is really getting old.

The tile is pretty shabby,

And the windows are quite cold.”

Like a rabbit in the headlights,

I wanted bad to run.

For fixing up the kitchen,

That’s not my idea of fun.

The winter flashed before my eyes,

She was serious, no doubt.

My mind began to scramble,

There must be some way out.

I know, I’ll talk of crop loss

And what we can’t afford.

I’ll bury her with numbers,

’Til she gives up, quite bored.

I said, “You know, the crop was bad.

The money is all spent.

And buying that new pickup truck

Took nearly our last cent.”

I knew she had me on the run,

My arguments would fail.

Even when I spoke of floods

And how we had some hail.

She said, “You told the neighbor

It wasn’t all that bad.

You said we could be happy

With the good luck that we had.”

Then she told me word for word,

The nice things I had said

On those October midnights when

I dragged her out of bed.

Yes, she’s the one who topped the beets

And hauled in all the grain.

She knew how good the crop was,

Even with the excess rain.

It’s true she did deserve it,

So that winter I did spend,

Fixing up our kitchen for

My partner and my friend.

David Kragnes farms near Felton, Minn., and is a former chairman of American Crystal Sugar Company. He also currently serves on the board of directors of CoBank.