Farmer Planted Crop Field with Hidden Message Propose to Girlfriend

A farmer spent months cultivating the perfect engagement surprise.

Australian farmer Will Henderson, 25, decided to surprise his girlfriend and pop the question on Saturday, Sept. 6 by doing what he knows best — farming canola crops, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

However, instead of planting just the normal crop squares, he opted to challenge himself by arranging the yellow crops in the shape of the words “Will you marry me?” 

“[A] lot of hard work and hours went into it, and a few white lies with Steph,” Henderson recalled to ABC. “She usually wanted to go on a crop tour and I had to say no, which she didn’t like too much.”

He noted that he used “the air seeder width and just drew it on the GPS screen” in order to form the words, which were approximately 39.37 ft. wide (12 meters). But that also came with some challenges due to difficulty with the shaping.

“You can see the ‘E’ and the start of a couple of letters struggled a bit … so I had to re-sow that by hand weeks later,” he explained.

All the hard work paid off, as Henderson’s girlfriend, Steph Carter, 24, got an engagement to remember. Henderson took her up on a small airplane and they flew over the canola field and he officially asked her if she would be his bride.

“It was really surprising, but it was really amazing that he put in all that effort,” Carter told ABC. “I thought that he would propose soon, but I wasn’t expecting him to do it the way that he did.”

In a photo the couple shared with ABC, Carter could be seen showing off her left hand with her new square-cut engagement ring on it as she smiled next to Henderson. Her new fiancé appeared equally as happy in the snap.

On top of the ride, Henderson also surprised his new fiancée with a celebration complete with their closest family and friends once they touched back on the ground.

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“They all live like a couple of hours away, so that was pretty surprising to have all of them there as well, which made it extra special,” Carter told ABC.

As for what’s next, the couple told the news outlet that they were planning on taking the time to plan out their nuptials, and it will be sure to tie in Henderson’s farm.

“We’re planning to get married in 2027 sometime, at Mum and Dad’s place on the farm in the garden,” Henderson said.