Let's Talk About The Center Pivot

Have you ever looked out an airplane window and noticed circular fields of crops?  These fields result from center-pivot irrigation.

If you are from the Midwest, or have family in the Midwest, or studied agriculture at any point in your life, you can probably skip this blog entry.  Otherwise, I would like to introduce the center pivot:

Look at that monster!  It's the uber-lawn sprinkler.  If only I had one of these things when I was a summer camp counselor.  In the top photograph, you are looking at the front of the center pivot.  The far end stays in place and supplies water to the rest of the system.  The front and middle sections move on wheels; and as the wheels move, the enter contraption pivots in a big slow circle and shoots out water, thereby irrigating a circlular field of crops.  

Any questions?  Well, don't ask me - I'm not an irrigation expert.  But I still think the center pivot is pretty cool.