FARMIN'

A few farmers were standing around the Feed store waiting for their orders to be filled.  The topic of winning the lottery came up One man allowed as how he would fix up the house, get a new tractor, take a world cruise.  He asked a second farmer what he would do and his answer was about the same plus he had kids to get through college.  They finally turned to the third man who had been listening and asked him what he would do if he won the lottery, he shrugged and said, "I guess I'd keep farmin' until it's gone."

A small farm is usually a closed ecological system. My Grandma Horn's farm was fairly simple.  They had a hen house for egg production for the house and excess to be sold to the store.  Kids were not allowed to play in the chicken shed. There was usually chicken feed to be distributed for them to peck at. Grandma used to tell of baking corn meal into bricks to be used as chickenfeed, usually in the winter. 

Grandfather had a couple dozen milk cows.  They had a new cement block dairy barn that they kept sparkling clean.  The milk was collected in 25 gallon cans after the milk was separated; cream from milk.  They usually got four or five cans from each milking and the milk was taken to the tank full of water that the cans rested in until the Dairy Coop truck came to pick them up.

Grandma would take her half gallon of milk and skim the cream from it until it was blue.  She did make butter from time to time but she preferred to cook with lard. And it was good.

As the seasons turned they planted early hay or alfalfa and then corn.  They didn't have the big combines for the corn so they got on a list of at the Coop for when they got to use the harvesters.

Grandma kept a smallish garden for the house. There were all the usual vegetables and she always grew tomatoes.  At the end of the season she would use the green tomatoes to make green tomato pickles.  It is a crisp sweet pickle.  I have been hoarding my last jar for a few years now.  The worlds best way to eat the pickle is Grandma Horn's way.  She would fry up some hamburger patties and when they were almost done the buns would go into the pan until nicely fried up.  A little mayo, couple slices of green tomato pickle and CHOMP!  Still one of my very favorite burgers.  

These grandparents baled their hay because it was easier to feed cattle that way.  So we kids would climb the haystacks and play fort all day long.  There were farm cats all around but were much to fast to be captured by a little Farm Princess who wanted to dress them up as a dollie.  Nuh uh, not gonna happen. 

We did get to see the gritty bits of farm life.  When fried chicken was requested that usually meant that Grandpa would go catch a chicken and dispatch it by stepping on the head and yanking the feet.  Yep, chickens do run around without a head. 

It was heart breaking to go to the calf barn, the were all bawling for their ma-ma's and the cows were all bawling for the calves.  But they were cute.

They kept a couple horses to go irrigating.  Just a matter of saddle up, grab the shovel and walk about the farm, opening and closing drain ditches.