By Blair Shipp, ASA State Policy Communications Coordinator
By Blair Shipp, ASA State Policy Communications Coordinator
Harvest has its own soundtrack. From podcasts and favorite teams on the radio to songs that bring back
memories of riding in the tractor as a kid, what fills the cab can be as varied as the farmers behind the wheel.
We asked three ASA farmer leaders to share what’s keeping them company through the long days of harvest. Their answers span everything from Mozart to Mötley Crüe, ’90s pop to hardcore rock, with plenty of podcasts, sports, and nostalgia in between.
DEREK HELMS | ARKANSAS
NOW PLAYING: Johnny Cash • Jason Boland • Bob Seger • Chris LeDoux • Mötley Crüe • Buddy Holly • The Doors • The Rolling Stones • Fleetwood Mac • Ernest Tubb • Wagner • Mozart
Derek Helms keeps his AirPods in during harvest, but what comes through them is anyone’s guess.
Derek Helms
“I’m pretty eclectic when it comes to music,” he said.
His rotation can jump from Johnny Cash and classic rock to Mötley Crüe, Ernest Tubb, and even Wagner and Mozart. But when Helms needs some extra motivation, one song stands above the rest: Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.”
Helms also mixes podcasts and audiobooks into his harvest days. His regular rotation includes agricultural podcasts SharkFarmer, RealAg, and Barn Talk, along with Bear Grease, an Arkansas-centric show covering everything from Southern culture to the outdoors.
A self-described “history nerd,” Helms also gravitates toward books and podcasts about the Vietnam War and veterans’ experiences.
His harvest soundtrack also has roots much further back. Helms remembers riding on the hump of an International 1486 as a kid, “banging my head” while his dad played 1960s rock ’n’ roll and ‘80s country. Twice a day, the music stopped for the news and Paul Harvey’s “The Rest of the Story.”
And on football Fridays, there’s another tradition: “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, his alma mater’s fight song.
“Strange, I know, but you double the speed and you’ll be ready to run through a brick wall at the end of harvest.”
JORDAN SCOTT | SOUTH DAKOTA
COUNTRY MUSIC? Not a chance.
“NOT country music!” Jordan Scott said when asked what’s playing during harvest.
Jordan Scott
Instead, Scott’s rotation includes ’90s hip-hop, pop-punk, and classic rock, along with plenty of comedy podcasts. Kill Tony, Your Mom’s House, and 2 Bears, 1 Cave are among his favorites, while The Joe Rogan Experience makes the rotation when there’s a guest who catches his interest.
When he needs to get going, Scott turns to Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.” That tune actually predates his time in the tractor.
Most of the time, Scott chooses between music and podcasts, but there’s one thing that takes priority.
“If the Cubs are playing, I’m listening to that for sure.”
And the artist he associates with farming? Hall & Oates.
Or, as Scott puts it: “hauling oats.”
GUILTY PLEASURE: ’90s pop. *NSYNC, Hanson, and the Backstreet Boys all find their way into Scott’s earbuds during harvest.
TANNER JOHNSON | WISCONSIN
DAYTIME: Podcasts
EVENING: Music
LATE NIGHT: Turn it up.
Tanner Johnson’s harvest soundtrack gets progressively heavier as the day gets longer.
Tanner Johnson
During the day, podcasts about sports, markets, and comedy fill the gaps between phone calls with friends, family, and neighbors. Once evening rolls around, Johnson switches to music.
“I enjoy a very wide variety of music, but the later into the season and the later into the evening, the more rock and hardcore music I’ll listen to.”
LONG-DAY ANTHEM: “B.Y.O.B.” by System of a Down
There are only a couple of occasions when Johnson turns on the radio. Otherwise, it’s podcasts until he runs out of them, then music from there. And when it comes to the artist that simply sounds like harvest, Johnso has one answer: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
“Can’t really explain it, but Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.”
WHAT’S YOUR HARVEST SOUNDTRACK? Share on social media and tag ASA!
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