Look What I Found In My Corn Field

I found this big rock on the edge of my corn field this spring. When I bought the farm there was a pile of a few big rocks right next to my neighbors field. I moved the rock off the field with my 4020 and loader. One of them was so big I could just barley lift it with the tractor and loader. The loader has 2,000 pounds of lifting capacity. This rock was not quite that big but where did it come from?

I saw it when I was working the corn field with the field cultivator this spring. I stopped, went over to the rock, got down on my knee to dig the rock out with my hands. That did not go well. I had time yesterday afternoon to go back with the tractor and loader. I brought a shovel  and began to dig around the rock. I soon realized it was a very big rock.

I thought I might have to get my neighbor with a backhoe to dig it out. However, I was able to get it out of the ground, into the loader and moved off the field. I suspect decades ago the previous owner moved the big rocks to the edge of the field and left them. They did not have the tractors and loaders back then that we have today!

I remember my grandpa had what he called a "stone boat." It was wood planks fastened together that they rolled big rocks on and then dragged them off the field with a small tractor or horses. I have been told that it was the glaciers that deposited the rocks in our fields. Even though they may have been well below the soil surface the ground freezing and thawing moves them eventually to the soil surface.

I have seen people put these big rocks in their front yard as part of their landscaping. I do not see any aesthetic value in big field rocks! To me they are a lot of extra work. They are just waiting in the field to break my equipment. There will be no big rocks in my front yard! Why can't I find a Jeanie in a bottle with 3 wishes?

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