Father, son duo cherish annual combine ride together

By RHIANNON BRANCH
FarmWeek
For 35 years, Gary Brelsfoard spent countless hours in the combine seat during harvest, often with his son, Jason, by his side.
Fast forward and their roles have reversed.
In 2020, when Gary’s health prevented him from climbing the ladder on his own, Jason promised him an annual combine ride together, just like when they were younger. Now retired and dependent on a wheelchair, the elder Brelsfoard looks forward to that day each year.
“I feel like I owe that to him to give him some time in the combine so he can feel like he’s a part of the operation,” Jason said.
While it takes a lot of time, coordination and help to hoist his dad into the machine, Jason said the smile on his face makes the delay in harvest worth it.
“That crop will be there tomorrow. If I don’t get that extra 10 or 20 acres out because we took time to get dad in the combine, there will be another day for that,” Jason said. “One of these days there might not be another day to get him in the combine. So, we make that our priority.”
The younger Brelsfoard shared a video of his father entering the combine this year on social media. On TikTok alone, the video was viewed more than 947,000 times, generating over 88,000 “likes” and more than 5,000 comments.
Jason Brelsfoard said viewers connected with it because it served as a positive story in a world often filled with negative news.

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“I think when people saw that video, they realized there are better things out there in life if you stay true to your roots and take care of your parents,” he said.
The comments from neighbors and strangers alike were overwhelming.
“People were saying ‘You don’t see that very often anymore,”’ Jason said. “You don’t see kids taking care of their father or a lot of family farm actions like that.”
The Brelsfoards said the conversations in the cab during their annual rides are just as memorable, usually centered around yields. “When dad was farming, the yields weren’t near as good as they are now with all the new genetics and hybrids they have out,” Jason said.
And Gary enjoys watching the yield monitor from the buddy seat, two things they didn’t have back when he was driving the combine.
“Dad can see the numbers pop up on there and how the yield changes throughout the field,” Jason said. “I think that maybe amazes him a little bit.”
The Brelsfoards grow corn and soybeans with a cover crop rotation near Maroa in Macon County. Jason Brelsfoard took over the farm in 2015 and his 20-year-old son, Mason, helps out. Their goal is to obtain more ground so Mason can join the farm full-time soon.
When asked about the future of the operation, Gary Brelsfoard shared his vision with Jason and Mason.
“Just keep it together and keep farming, but adding to it every year,” he said.
But for now, they look forward to continuing the harvest ride-along tradition in 2025.
“I want to do that for him every year and keep him as much of a part of the farm as I can, for as long as I can,” Jason concluded. “I owe that to him for all that he’s taught me.”
This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.

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