For most of you, October means Halloween and spooky season activities, but for about 2% of the U.S. population, it's harvest time. This probably doesn't mean a thing to some of you. You didn't grow up with generations of farmers around you or get excited for sweet corn every July. Regardless, this should mean something to you. You see that 2% of farmers are made up of roughly 2 million people and their job is to feed the world.

They spend all summer just preparing for this time to come. They empty their grain bins by selling their grain and hauling it to an elevator plant. They even sweep out the bottom of the bins by hand. They thoroughly go over and clean their equipment to make sure it's working properly and to prevent breakdowns. They grease and oil their whole grain bin system to ensure that everything is running smoothly. All of this for a tiring couple of months out of the year.

During the months of September, October and sometimes November, farmers will spend time on the farm from sun up to sun down in order to get their crops they planted in the spring out of the fields. Only stopping to sleep, deal with a breakdown, mother nature intrudes or God forbid someone gets injured. They will spend countless hours in combines, tractors or semis. They will spend time climbing up grain bins, making sure everything is greased and oiled properly. They will spend hours moving equipment from field to field. Imagine how exhausting this would be to do for 30 straight days or maybe even longer.

I understand that it can be annoying when you get stuck behind a combine or tractor on your way to work or an important meeting, but next time this happens try to put yourself in their shoes. I can promise you that they're tired and just trying to get from point A to point B. I know I am speaking for all farmers when I say if you see flashing red lights ahead, a long line of cars or an orange triangle, just slow down. It's much better to be late than to get into an accident because you were careless and impatient.

On top of all of the hours farmers put in, farming has a huge mental aspect to it. Farmers are five times more likely to be suicidal or depressed than the general public. This is due to the fact that a lot of patience and money is involved. They often worry about if they're going to get their money back and if mother nature is going to be good to them this year. Be thankful that you're able to have you favorite dish at Thanksgiving dinner because of a farmer and remember that this time of year does effect you.