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ended in 1996. For information only.
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"A Visit to a Grain Farm - Through Our Eyes"
All eighteen of us are getting on the school bus. We are
very excited about our field trip to Mr. and Mrs. Aitkensı grain farm.
Although we live in a small rural city, many of us have never visited
a farm before. As the bus bumps its way along the pot holed highway,
we all sing Old MacDonald . The farm is only a few kilometres down
the highway. We can see it coming into view. Some people are
surprised to see a large, modern house, surrounded by beautiful,
green poplar trees. Some students were expecting to see something
old and run down, but this is a large up-to-date farm.
As we enter the farmyard, a big brown dog comes to greet us.
As we get off the bus he jumps up and licks our faces. The farmyard is
crowded with cars, trucks and a big grey Gleaner combine, the machine
thatıs used to do the harvesting. Mr. Aitkens is fixing it. It has broken
down and now he is behind in his harvesting. Even though it is only
October, snow has been forecast. If he doesnıt get back to work soon he
could lose the rest of his crop. Also, we wonıt be able to see the
combine at work if he canıt get it fixed before we have to go back to
school.
Luckily there are other things to see and do on this farm. Although
itıs mainly a grain farm, there are a few animals here also. As we peer
inside a small barn we see a mother goat with her little baby. We go in
to take a closer look. Out of nowhere four baby kittens appear, each one
cute and cuddly. After we pet the goats and kittens, we leave the barn
and go over to a fenced area. There we see two large rams with bushy
beards and curled horns. One ram charges at the fence. We all back up,
then decide itıs time to leave for the bus.
The bus starts up and weıre headed for the grain fields. We turn
off the highway and onto a gravel road. We travel a kilometre down this
dusty road. We stop and look out over a golden field of wheat. The
field stretches out as far as the eye can see. In every direction we
can see the blue sky touching the golden fields. We get out of the bus
and run and play in the wheat. It is taller than we thought. It is
almost as tall as we are.
Suddenly, we hear a grinding, roaring sound. Rolling down the
gravel road comes the combine. It turns off the road and onto the field.
The farmer is beginning the harvest. The combine munches the wheat with
its massive mouth. It looks like a hungry metal dinosaur devouring
everything in its path. Most of us have never been this close to a
combine before. As it passes us, the chaff, spewing from the rear of
the machine, causes a small dust storm. We can feel the ground
trembling. Many of us want to get back on the bus!
The combine then comes to a halt. The farmer turns off the motor.
Now all we can hear is the rustling of the wheat in the wind. A bird chirps
in the distance. We can hear our hearts thumping. We realise how very
quiet it is out here on the prairie. The farmer comes to say hello. We
give him a card that weıve all signed, and we thank him for inviting
us.
We climb back on the bus and drive down the dusty road, turn
onto the highway and head back to school.
By the students of
Grade Five - Room 11
St. Dominic Savio School
Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada
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