Farmer I used to be.
My people were what would be considered a real small farm today. Owned by my mother's father in the 40s it had everything, milking, steers for food, hogs, chickens, fruit trees and a huge garden. About as self sustaining as it gets. By the 60s everything was phased out except the chickens and a couple of steers. Modern grocery stores contributed to that. I look back and marvel the work ethic to keep all that going.
Dad became a farmer when he married mom. By the early 60s I was learning to drive 2 cyl Deeres. I eventually worked my way up to using all the plows, discs, planters and harvesters as did my brothers that followed. I didn't get to run the combine much as Dad considered that his reward for all the toil. Bear in mind this was in the day before cabs and air conditioning.
My worst memory was picking corn on a cold snowy day with a 2 row front loader mounted on the G Deere. Really slow work. This was the time where the corn was left on the cob and transported to the corn crib. No money until spring when the crib was emptied and "shelled". I actually enjoyed that experience where neighbors would come and help all for the promise of a noon feast and it usually was. To put it in perspective the closest thing to it these days is Amish barn raising.
We would return the favor when others did the same.
Dad had a mouse run up this coveralls on year. Never saw a man strip so fast. The other farmers were rolling on the ground laughing. It became a yearly story that had to be told. Dad taped his pant legs shut every year after that which usually got the story retold when noticed.
We, the youngest got to climb up in the crib and knock down corn that got stuck. The inside of a crib is like a giant jungle gym. As we got a little older we would be in charge of shooting any rats that showed up with a 22. It was fun at the time. Fortunately our farm was fairly rat free.
I did the shelling thing at one farm that was inundated with rats and black snakes. It was a more tense atmosphere as you never knew what was coming out of the crib. I can deal with the rats but the snakes, no way.
As teenagers we would walk beans, bale hay for others for summer income. My buddy loved baling but I tried to avoid it at all costs.
Dad would fill in the blanks by being a mechanic and kept all the surrounding farmer's stuff running. He likely could have done well at that alone. In looking at his books later I decided he did it mostly as favors because he sure never charged enough to cover the time involved.
It all worked out as he and mom raised 4 kids and built our own home by the time they were 30. Other than the basic framing the house was completed by them, his dad and an uncle. Carpentry, plumbing, electricity, hardwood floor all DIY if you will.
Looking back and marveling at the numbers there is no way on earth that could be accomplished today.
By the time I came of age I could see that this farm size could not sustain another family. Fortunately hanging around dad and grandparents I became mechanically tuned and went on to own my own machine shop by age 24. Dad would get slightly upset with me for not charging him labor on any work I might do for him but how could I? Would go back and help out when dad was sick.
Farm finances. Dad passed from cancer that I believe was caused by handling too many "safe" chemicals without proper protection. It was a different time.
When dad passed I was going over the books which mom meticulously kept. I came across one year where they showed a ten dollar profit. Thinking this was rather unique I asked mom about it and she said that she worked hard on the books to show that profit that year. I said it was ok to show a loss but her pride would not let that happen.
When mom passed and after much soul searching it was decided to sell mom's share of the farm. At this time it was owned by mom and her sister. I was considering taking it on but updates needed kind of killed that idea.
Ultimately we sold it to our first cousin that was farming it after dad passed. So it is still in the family so to speak. Our share didn't amount to all that much when divided by 4 but I was grateful for all the decades of work that went into it by the family.
And that is the way it was.
