



Tobacco, Part 1
We have a lot to chew on in this episode. As the rhythmic click, click, click of the planter echoes in the background. Your tobacco allotment required lots of hard work by hand. Transplanting, hoeing and topping were only the beginning, as this “tubby” crop was truly a family affair! By mid-June t…

Farm Tractors
What was the color of your favorite farm tractor? Red, orange, green, yellow or blue…who knew the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow was hooked up to a tractor! Was the first tractor you drove a letter – B, C or H – or a number 50, 60 or 300? Horsepower was key as the 4 wheels replaced the 4 le…

Farm Foods, Part 2
The oil is boiling as Mom slides the donuts into their 375 degree bath. The smell of baking bread drifts upstairs pulling you out of bed. But DON’T JUMP around the oven as you race into the kitchen or the bread will…! We’re back with a couple more courses along with a few desserts. Mounds of mashe…

Farm Foods, Part 1
Pickled herring and pickled pigs feet, stuff of nightmares or tasty treats. Watermelon chilled all day in the tank. Hot sweet corn slathered with butter fresh from the field. Meat and potatoes seven days a week. We’re diving in teeth first recalling the food that made us who we are today. Pour a c…

Farm Sayings, Part 2
Where’s the beef… and why should you care? Welcome to Farm Sayings II: The Idioms Return! Ham and eggs taught us the difference between commitment and involvement. We’re digging further into the barnyard lexicon and trust us it’s no wild goose chase! We are committed to having a good time with this…

Back to School
You didn’t care that the official paint since 1939 for your bus was “National School Bus Glossy Yellow”. That bus was already around the corner, and you were late! You grabbed your new notebooks, #2 pencils and crayons and shouted “good bye” to Mom as you slammed the kitchen door. The bus drive…

Summer Nights On the Farm
Temps in the 90’s, humidity and sweat soaked your shirt. The evening chores finally done. You step out of the barn into a Summer Evening Symphony created by birds, bugs and gentle southerly “wood” winds. During the baby boomer years, we used front porches, root beer floats and box fans to temper th…

Farm Sayings
So hot you can hear the corn grow…living high on the hog, and party till the cows come home – then party with the cows! These farm sayings and so many more have been with us since childhood. Some with obvious meanings while others may require some thought. Grab a cool glass of your favorite bev…

Harvesting Oats, Part 2 - Threshing
Neighbors gather as the behemoth slowly emerges from the shed. The earth shakes and gravel crunches under steel wheels as it rolls into position. Shocks of oats stand mutely in the field unable to move as they await their fate. The belts tighten, bearings and sprockets start to spin faster and fa…

Harvesting Oats, Part 1
Dad rolled the head of oats between his fingers as we watched Bullwinkle on TV telling us to “Go with Cheerios!” Temps in the 90s and the oats turning golden were sure signs that grain harvest had arrived. Did you have a shocking experience with a grain binder or watch the combine in a cloud of d…