FREE FOOD!

There I was, minding my own business - and sitting in front of my computer - when the phone rang.

It was 7:20 this morning - and since people rarely call at 7:20 in the morning - I was at a loss as to what it could be about. I didn't even recognise the phone number that came up on caller ID. It was a local cell phone number, but one I didn't know off the top of my head.

It was a good thing that I was running late today, otherwise I'd been outside and not been able to take the call.

As it turned out, it was a neighbor with a "freebie". His first words (after telling me who he was...) were: "How would you like some really cheap corn?".

Naturally, I asked him what he had going. He gave me a story about how "they" had been combining a corn field and "they" accidentally dumped some on the ground. He told me that there was about "10 or 12" bushel on the ground, and in their way. Come to find out, it had happened the night before, and "they" had over filled the truck.

On a side note - "they" ratted on him and said he was running the combine at the time.....

He gave me directions to a field not far from the house and, after squeezing the juice out of the cow, I grabbed a few tools (leaf rake, shovel, push broom, and lute) and headed out.

Finding the right place was not a problem. The tell-tale pile at the end of the field road, and the heavy trucks pointed me in the right direction. I just followed the trucks, and found the right place.

As they filled the combine, instead of driving the trucks into the cornfield, they parked them on a hill side that had been cut and baled for hay. It is still a little damp in a lot of spots to get heavy trucks into. The wide tires on the combines allow them to "float" instead of sinking. Instead of risking a stuck truck, they brought the full combine to the trucks.

I found the "spill" quite easily - there were actually two spots in the field, in addition to the one by the road. The first was as big as the pickup, and two feet deep in spots. The second was about 8' square, and just as deep as the other.

Since it was in grass, I found that the "pile" was pretty easy to pick up - the hard part was after it got down to where I had to scrape and rake. The leaf rake and lute came in handy for this part. I'd rake awhile, then scoop it up into the truck.

It took about an hour and a half, but I got as much as possible up - without REALLY digging - and headed home.

While I am not SURE how much it is - using straight volume calculations, there is around 40 bushel. I know that I filled 5 55 gallon drums, and still had about half to go. From experience, I know that my drums hold a little over 6 bushel each.

Here is a photo of the load:



This man is always thinking of how he can help others in the community, and I've never heard an ill word spoken of him or his parents.

All I know is - I'm thankful that he thought of me when he saw the pile.

My chickens, goats and cows are thankful, too.