Times Change

[LBrandt]

My folks bought what would be the family farm in the late 1940's. Farmed 2 quarters and an 80 with a B Farmall that pulled 2-14 plow or an 8' disk. Checked planted the corn so you could cultivate both ways no chemicals. 2 row corn planter and cultivator. G-4 combine and 12ft swather. Milked 24 Holstine cows and just sold the cream. I cant imagine any one working like that again. Made more money selling the last quarter of land in early 80's than they made all those years working the land. Dad took the capital gains tax with a grain of salt so to speak but it made my folks retirement. They traveled a lot around the states and I don't think they missed one. Had a new house in town, drove the best Oldsmobile you could get, lived a long life just shy of 90 and passed happy. Even left some for us kids. You just don't see that anymore. LB

 

[buckhunter24_7]

Tough to start out farming when the land gets sold before you have a chance to start

 

[Davey Crockett]

Life and times were simple back then, pretty much the same scenario here. I had to google what "checked planted the corn so you could cultivate both ways" was all about. I'd seen the wire rollers at auctions and always wondered what they were used for. Thanks for helping me check that "I-wonder" off my bucket list, I need to get out of the hills more.

 

[svnmag]

Life and times were simple back then, pretty much the same scenario here. I had to google what "checked planted the corn so you could cultivate both ways" was all about. I'd seen the wire rollers at auctions and always wondered what they were used for. Thanks for helping me check that "I-wonder" off my bucket list, I need to get out of the hills more.

 

[CatDaddy]

My folks bought what would be the family farm in the late 1940's. Farmed 2 quarters and an 80 with a B Farmall that pulled 2-14 plow or an 8' disk. Checked planted the corn so you could cultivate both ways no chemicals. 2 row corn planter and cultivator. G-4 combine and 12ft swather. Milked 24 Holstine cows and just sold the cream. I cant imagine any one working like that again. Made more money selling the last quarter of land in early 80's than they made all those years working the land. Dad took the capital gains tax with a grain of salt so to speak but it made my folks retirement. They traveled a lot around the states and I don't think they missed one. Had a new house in town, drove the best Oldsmobile you could get, lived a long life just shy of 90 and passed happy. Even left some for us kids. You just don't see that anymore.

Thanks for sharing LB! The generations from 13-30 years old just don't understand hard work from what I've experienced. There are always a few exceptions, but most aren't pioneers of anything.....

 

[LBrandt]

Life and times were simple back then, pretty much the same scenario here. I had to google what "checked planted the corn so you could cultivate both ways" was all about. I'd seen the wire rollers at auctions and always wondered what they were used for. Thanks for helping me check that "I-wonder" off my bucket list, I need to get out of the hills more.

your welcome. When you cultivated east to west it was smooth but when you then went north to south your teeth rattled out of your mouth.

 

[johnr]

Grain prices back then are at the same level they are now, difference is a producer has to have 4x the bushel per acre to make the same per acre revenue.
One must farm thousands of acres now to cover the expense of equipment, chemical, seed, fuel, and hundreds of other input costs.

A family could never make a living on 2 quarters now, not even if the land and equipment was free.

 

[Rowdie]

Grow weed.

 

[Retired-Guy]

Grow weed.

You're setting a poor example for your students, Teacher Rowdie! Just kidding!