“Abraham Lincoln created the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862. At that time about 90 out of every 100 Americans were farmers. Today, that number has shrunk to just 2 out of every 100 Americans. Still the motto of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is the same today as it was nearly 150 years ago. Across the bottom of the official USDA seal, are the words “Agriculture is the foundation of manufacture and commerce.”
When we finally moved in to the completed Homestead here, Mike was eager to get a large garden going and have a stand out front to sell some of the produce. His grandfather had a fruit and vegetable store in West Haven years ago and something in the growing of produce has always held his interest. We’ve had a small horse farm ever since we were married 24 years ago, but didn’t devote any large piece of the land to vegetable gardening until recently. We also have several hay fields at This Old House that need tending.
What we’ve learned in the past few years is …. Farming is HARD WORK!.. and it’s truly a science. It’s not hard to lose an entire crop to weather or over/under-fertilization or pest infestation. I’ve gained tremendous respect for those who tend the soil and produce food for the masses. I’m not talking about corporate “factory” farms, but those who are down in the trenches, the fields, the barns, the soil… from sun up to sun down. While we’re just a hobby farm with that small stand out front, there is enough toil here for us to appreciate those who are feeding their families off the land and making a living at it too. I urge you to support their efforts by buying local produce whenever possible. Your body will thank you too! Not only is their produce healtheir for you… without them present in this country’s system we’re headed down a road we don’t want to go.
We don’t have hay equipment, so a farmer in the area brings his equipment for atleast two cuttings each summer to cut and bale the hay. He takes most of it to feed his own animals, and leaves some of the hay for us. The hay must be cut in dry weather conditions… there needs to be enough time to mow it, thresh it into rows, and then bale it with a haybaler. Then the bales need to be picked up out of the field and stored in a dry loft where there is plenty of air circulation, so as to prevent mold, which makes them useless for feed. Moldy hay can make a horse very sick. If there is a rainy season, it’s hard to get this accomplished. Yesterday the hay was cut in most of the fields here, some of it baled, and today, before the predicted rain, they’ll try to finish what they started. Last year we had to throw our stored hay out because it had gotten wet and was stored too tightly. When I opened a bail to feed the horses weeks later, the mold cloud forwarned me that the hay had been ruined. Lesson learned.
I have new respect for my parents who raised us on a farm. It was a full time job – not only the garden part but the harvest and "putting up"!!! Full time all summer to raise and freeze for a whole winter. Not having much money was the motivation and I am happy to know that I grew up on our own milk, butter, cream, bread, vegetables, beef and pork.
But I can tell you this – spending all summer "haying"? SUCKED. No bailer for us. Loose hay forked onto a truck every evening after dinner. Truck was left inside the barn for all us kids to UNLOAD into the lofts the next day. HATEFULLLLLL! But kids being kids – we made it as fun as we could and brought in the neighbor kids to help, letting them think this was fun. LOL!!!
No – farming is out for me. But I DO enjoy the fruits of my husbands labor in his little vegetable gardens and I REALLY enjoy yours!!! LOL!
My dad just bailed his hay last night too! It's nice that all the guys in my family get together and help him! Farming is hard work, but it's great that you have access to all the fresh veggies and fruits!
Awesome shot of the broccoli, very cool! And I still need to get you that honey from my Dad's beehives! Sooo good!
hard work, but good work. almost married a dairy farmer in wisconsin. life would have been hard, for sure.
Im sure its a very hard life but thr rewards are great. We buy all our veg. And fruits at our local farmers market. We are only half a mile away:). Have a great day
I just want y'all to know… Joey's brother is here today helping with the hay harvest…I had to laugh when I walked up to the field to see the progress and there he stood.
I love this post. We don't garden any more but have many wonderful memories of a nice organic garden!
Isn't it a good feeling, growing your own food! We too grew peas last year and this year. They are wonderful. I hope I never eat another canned peas. they are tasteless!
I am the lucky receiver of 2 dozen farm fresh eggs sitting in my frig right now. Both from good friends for "free". The best kinds, eggs and friends.
In my previous life, I lived in the country, and planted a HUGE garden…..yes, it is an incredible amount of work……not for the faint of heart.
Karma is indeed a bitch… that's why I'm aways nice to you. :-)))
I've always had a healthy respect for farmers probably more so because I spent every summer on the farm over home. Your's is doing great. My brother has a "side of the house" garden, and he loves doing it. I was there this afternoon, and couldn't believe how much he has growing in that small space. He's gone for two months; I'm curious to see how my sis in law does with "harvesting". LOL
Have to ask you though (and you know I'm coo coo) the peas you mention look like string beans to me. What kind of peas are they? Oh nevermind, I guess sweet peas or english peas grow in pods like that. DUH!!! 🙂
Some have said that farmers are the soul of a nation.
I share your thinking on this one.
I appreciate farming very much and I'm grateful I don't have to do it, except maybe as a hobby. We'd starve to death if it was a necessity. The only thing I haven't been able to kill, is silk plants!
Great pics. I long for a farming life sometimes. I live in the suburbs currently. Southeastern PA.
Oh poor chickens…true, some just pass. 🙁 I am somewhat happy to be recovering from surgery so I can catch up! The farm looks amazing, you are such an inspiration! xo
There are so many things I want to say about this fabulous post 🙂 First, you are oh so right about the true farm families…I think a person has to have some semblance of their own garden (no matter how small) to really understand how much of the farmer's life is wrapped up in his crops. Last summer I decided to plant two squash plants in my little garden instead of the one I usually plant. Because of some unforseen or experienced soil problem, both plants grew nicely but NEVER produced squash. I had several of my friends experience the same thing. I couldn't help but think about the farmer who puts everything he has into his garden…what if the plants don't grow? What if the crop is killed by weather or insects of some kind? What then? I could go to the grocery store and buy a few squash bc I was only growing for my family to eat. But what if I was growing for my family's livlihood as so many farmers do? I try my best to buy from local and community farmers' markets as much as I possibly can for this very reason. And, organic is nice…but my beloved tomatoes were destroyed 2 years ago by those evil horned green worms. I asked my horticulturist dad what to do and he named off a couple of chemicals. When I jumped on my high horse and said I didn't want to add chemicals, he said pretty matter of factly, "well, you and your worms enjoy then." Another reality slap in the face, I'll tell ya.
Chickens – I would love to have two…but only if I could have a little wagon contraption and move them around the backyard…and only if I could convince my 3 dogs and 3 cats not to eat the chickens. There would be no way to free roam at my house. 🙁
Your Karma joke tickled me pink 🙂 Nature has a perfect way of taking care of its own, doesn't it 🙂
What a nice post, Karen. You said it so well. I lost a chicken yesterday — I knew it was coming, though. She was old and always had some problem or another, so it was time. But it's still sad.
I do hope you got all the hay in before this nasty weather!
Loved reading about your trials and tribulations on the farm…still wondering how you ever find time to do anything else!
You've done the homework, we'd have little to choose from if all of our produce was organic. The chicken thing… is vaccination within those first few days. Chickens have a poor immune system and get very sick very quickly.The death rate for vaccinated chicks is less than 1%.