Bringing in the Whats?

My husband is the pastor of a small, mostly graying congregation. They live for a "good ole fashion Sunday singin'." We just came from one-complete with fiddle, banjo and harmonica. Only thing missing was the mouth harp and someone playing the spoons. My husband loves to request the oldest, and hokiest of southern gospel songs at the singings for our own private enjoyment. Tonight, he called for "Bringing in the Sheaves." We were in the second verse when my five year old little girl looked at me and whispered, "Is it bringing in the sheep or bringing in the shees? Like you and me are shees and Daddy and Papa are hees?" I answered "Neither, it's bringing in the sheaVes." She asked "What's a "sheave?" And I just had to laugh because I don't really know. Is it another word for a wheat stalk? And I wonder how many generations of southerners have sang that song and not known what it was. We don't even grow wheat, for goodness sake!