The summer seems to be going by faster than I’d like it to, most possibly because we have been too busy to notice. Sometimes too much going on leads to forgetting how the day went by, but all and all it has been a very productive first summer in Iowa and a lot learned.

We had a young man from Germany visit and stay with us for a month to learn about how Midwest American farmers farm. He wants to be a German farmer and as an eager, young 18 year-old, he is on his way of becoming one. He was very skilled already at driving tractors, loading grain, bailing hay and hard work in general so we felt very confident with him joining us in our daily farm activities.

He drove many loads of corn to the ethanol plant nearby…

He helped clean out 2011 corn out of bins…

He mowed lawns and weed-wacked…

He fed sheep…

He pulled weeds…

…as well as many other odds and ends kind of work around the farm in the summer. He was ready and eager for hard, physical work everyday…sometimes we couldn’t find enough for him to do! He said the work was good for his figure, especially if he ate American food.