One farmer uses a unique method to ask for rain
By Diego Flammini
News Reporter
Farms.com
Don’t walk under a ladder, be careful not to break a mirror and knock on all the wood you can because today happens to be Friday the 13th.
Farms.com surveyed some members of the ag community to find out what superstitions are prominent on their farms.
Unsurprisingly, some of the beliefs pertain to the weather.
If a farmer doesn’t want rain, they should simply ignore it altogether, says Drew Baker, a wheat producer and member of the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association board of directors.
“If you don’t want rain, you don’t talk about it,” he told Farms.com today. “If you don’t acknowledge the rain, then maybe it doesn’t exist.”
On the other hand, if a crop could use some rain, farmers may have to put the inside of their trucks at risk, says Chris McQuid, a cash crop and cattle producer from near Vermillion, Alta.
“It’s actually something I heard from my father,” he said. “If he needed rain, he would leave the window of his farm truck down just a little bit. He always thinks that’s going to bring on rain and, sure enough, it’s happened on a few occasions.”
There are some superstitions that can also help a farmer decide when to plant specific crops.
“The elders in my family always said not to plant corn until the oak leaves were the size of a squirrel’s ear,” said Wendall Boehjle, account manager with Farmers Edge.
To many people, Friday the 13th is a day to be extra cautious but there are others who believe the day can bring good luck.
Especially for farmers wanting to wrap up their harvest.
“I’m actually hoping today will bring me some good luck,” Jean Harrington, who farms 7,400 acres with her husband John and is a member of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers board of directors, told Farms.com. “I’m hoping we’re going to finish up our harvest.”
Other ag-related superstitions include:
- If the sky is filled with wispy, thin clouds – also known as “mares’ tails” – it means rain is coming,
- Rain on Easter Sunday will bring rain for the following seven days,
- Anything planted by a pregnant woman is guaranteed to thrive, and
- Never raise 13 of any livestock.
Are there any specific superstitions on your farm?