Harvesting memories

After weeks of frustrating weather delays, Sunday’s sunshine and mild temperatures were a welcome sight for area farmers anxious to get their crops out of the fields. Matt and Nikki Keifer and their 8-year-old daughter, Ellie, took advantage of the beautiful fall afternoon to bring in the soybean harvest west of Belden. The family watches from the cab of their combine as a fresh load of soybeans is transferred into a waiting truck. The favorable weather came at an especially important time for Nebraska farmers. According to the USDA, just 9% of the state’s soybean crop had been harvested as of Oct. 4, well behind the five-year average of 34%. Wet conditions had limited farmers to just three days of fieldwork that week, leaving plenty of acres still waiting for the combine. For families like the Keifers, Sunday’s break in the weather meant another chance to make some headway on the harvest — and share a little family time along the way.