Can’t you just picture someone’s scrunched up face when they say, “It’s a Cuisinart”? It grinds, it brews, it practically makes breakfast for you. And if you live on coffee alone in the mornings, it DOES make breakfast for you! This hand-crank coffee grinder belonged to my great, great-grandmother. Manual hand mills came in handy when you only needed a … Read More
I Thought They Were Usually Roosters
It’s a classic farm-house icon. The rooster on top of the barn. At least that’s what I always thought they were. But my grandfather proved me wrong with this combination weather vane/lightning rod in the shape of a horse. This one is made out of copper and scrap metal so it’s heavy. Today, they’re made of aluminum. Back then, they … Read More
It’s a Family Affair
This column has caused quite a stir. Not only do I get the pleasure of writing about the farming history of my Grandfather and some of the “ways of yesteryear” from my Grandmother, but today, I have my Aunt to thank for “loaning” me a story idea. This truly has turned into fine family fun! When you were younger, did … Read More
Old Tractors
Our family farming operation bleeds green. To any John Deere lover, you know what I mean. The tractors today are bigger, have more horsepower, more options and enable growers to accomplish so much more in a short amount of time. It wasn’t always so. The top photo is a Mogul 8-16 breaking sod on our family’s farm in the early … Read More
Till We Meet Again
One of my goals living on the farm is to have a garden. I started one in Kansas City, but then we moved away. But this summer, I’m going to make a concerted effort to keep a family tradition going. We have these Syrian cucumbers that look like pinwheels when you cut them and never get bitter, no matter how … Read More
The Hay Rake
I’ve mentioned that I’m a corn and soybeans kind of gal. But I’m broadening my horizons and learning more about hay. This rake sits outside my Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Back in the late ‘teens, the rake was pulled by two horses while the operator would sit on the seat. He had two pedals –- one to engage the dogs … Read More
Save the Best for Next Year
Today, most farmers have other occupations to supplement their income. They farm, they run a trucking operation, they sell anhydrous, they sell seed corn, they run a grain elevator. I think I just described my brother to a “T” as one of his other duties as assigned is a seed corn dealer. Every year, people come to him to buy … Read More
When Was He Born?
Asking “When was he born?” might be a polite way to ask “How old are you?” But I’m allowed to ask that question of ancestors long gone. This photo is of Jonathan Henry, my Grandmother’s great-grandfather, born in 1848. This was taken in 1898. He farmed along the Missouri River until it rose out of its banks and washed away … Read More
Did You Back-Up Your Safe Deposit Box?
Okay, so you probably can’t back-up your files in a safe deposit box unless you make photocopies of them and put them in … you guessed it … another safe deposit box. This is an old-timer version of a PDA, or an iPad, or whatever hand-held device is small enough to fit in your plaid shirt pocket and hold all … Read More
It’s wheat. I know, it’s shocking.
This photo was taken in 1909. The men were cutting wheat on the farm which was rented when the family moved to Nebraska from Sedalia, Mo. Soon after this photo was taken, flooding destroyed the entire crop. Aside from the heartache of losing an entire crop, I found this photo interesting because it captured a harvesting technique called “shocking” – … Read More