Near St. Cloud Thursday afternoon on a day that seemed more November-like than May.
IN TYPICAL FORMER farm girl and farm boy fashion, my husband and I watched for farmers in the fields during our 600-mile round trip between Faribault and Fargo on Thursday and Friday to retrieve our youngest from North Dakota State University.
We traveled the interstate to Fargo, but took the back roads south and east (mostly Minnesota Highways 15 and 19) on the way home to avoid the road construction and traffic snarls near Clearwater and in the metro Friday evening.
Working the field near the Sabin exit Friday.
Digging, also near Exit 15 to Sabin.
East of Moorhead, draft horses seed small grain.
Based on our observations from Interstate 94, farmers between Fergus Falls and Moorhead, a distance of about 50 miles, are the most advanced in spring field work within the region we traveled.
Photographed near Collegeville on Thursday afternoon.
A Freeport area farm with an, as of Thursday afternoon, unworked field.
Field work before then rates as spotty and really only begins in the St. Cloud area.
As the sun begins to set along Minnesota Highway 15, a John Deere works the land.
North of Winthrop Friday evening, dust flies in the field.
Driving south on Minnesota 15 between I-94 and Winthrop Friday evening, we noticed lots of farmers out and about.
But then, heading east on State Highway 19, we saw fields basically untouched since last fall.
I expect, at least in southern Minnesota where we had those monumental late spring snowfalls, farmers are getting a wee worried about getting corn in the ground.
The sun sets across the prairie north of Winthrop on Friday.
© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
The “race” is on here, for the farmers. Much has been done in the last couple of days. My windows are in desperate need of a washing but that is a task best left til Spring planting is further along….for sure! I’m so glad you’ve accomplished the round trip in good fashion! Now, on to other plans!! Hugs………
Good to hear the field work pace is picking up in your corner of se Minnesota. This should be a good week for spring planting.
My windows are horribly dirty, too.
Yes, the son is moved home, off to Boston today and then moving to Rochester at the end of the week. No rest for the parents.
Speaking from our vantage point….parents are busy until they become “removed” to the status of “Great”. I am not saying that as a negative but just that it seems that there are so many ppl between the young ones and that level that responsibilities are definitely on the shoulders of the “younger” generations in between. We come along and enjoy!!! Not a bad spot to be!!!! LOL!
I shall await the “Great” status.
LOL! It does have its “perks”!! The hard part is the “hands off”/input given if asked for position!! Ha! We are “in the loop” but a tad removed from the epicenter! LOL!
Great Captures – cool to see the draft horses working the fields along with the power horses of combines and tractors!
Yes, I loved seeing the draft horses, too, and only wished I had a zoom lens and/or I had not spotted this scene along the interstate (where one cannot stop to take photos).
Good to see the farmers in the fields…not so much down here yet, that 15 Inches of snow left the fields very wet! Love the “sunset” photo…very peaceful. Good luck with the move this coming weekend, we are also helping our daughter and son-in-law move into their new home on Saturday/Sunday. It’ll be a busy time that’s for sure 🙂
Exactly. That late May snowfall made for some wet conditions in our region, although that should change this week.
How exciting that your daughter and son-in-law are moving into a new home.
The land is so flat. Did there use to be trees on the land but they were cleared for farming or has the land always been quite barren? It must be nice to see some vegetation and greenery and an end to all that snow. That’s quite a trip to collect your son! xx
Oh, yes, the land is flat, flat as a tabletop, especially in the Fargo area. Some trees may have been cleared for farming, but mostly there just never were trees in this area. It’s a 300-mile trip for us to Fargo, one-way.
Yes – your photos capture Minnesota!
I expect these rural scenes pretty much duplicate what you are seeing right now in the Worthington area.
Yep! Now that the rain has slowed down. BUT…ironically, we still desperately need MORE rain!
“what’s old is new again.” For info on the horse powered revival, see the article in today’s NY Times.
Thanks for the link, Margaret. Just checked it out.