With all of the rushing around during such a busy spring crazy things can happen, and it takes some time and energy to get everything on the farm as I like it.

Now that I am fertilizing my last "double crop" rice field I am beginning to think about what comes next. I like to call it picking up the pieces.

One example that will keep me busy is in this photo of one of my discs. The disc in the photo broke a four-inch diameter shaft that it pivots on to open and close the disc. How do you break a four-inch thick chunk of steel? I don't know, but we somehow managed to.

In the rush of a greatly condensed planting season we didn't have time to fix big things like this so we just parked what broke and called up the second string of implements. Now that were finishing up we begin to pick up after ourselves. Implements and tractors are washed and serviced and repairs are made.

There's nothing I hate more than putting away something that is broke. We fix it as soon as we can after planting, so that when the time comes it is ready to go. Hopefully the repairs after this spring won't give me a heart attack.

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Sean Doherty is a 3rd generation rice farmer living out his dream, being a rice farmer in Dunnigan.

He farms in Yolo, Colusa, and Sutter Counties with his wife Melissa, and three kids, Hannah, Gus, and Mary. He enjoys being in the fields, watching the seasons, and sharing it with his family.

Read more about Sean in Rice Farming magazine.