As Autumn Winds Down on the Farm

As autumn winds down and farmers prepare for winter, there were always a multitude of tasks on the farm.  Some were tedious, while others enjoyable.  I guess it all depended on how one looked at it.

• Stashing bales of hay (and before the days of baling) against the back side of the house to keep the frost and cold from invading the cellar so much and causing pipes to freeze.  We also had to do this with the north side of the barn.
• Making sure water pipes were insulated and covered, too.
• Putting up the last vegetables in jars.
• Digging the potatoes and store them in the large bin in the cellar.  There might be some carrots there, too.
• Shelling corn, in the hand turned machine, to bag for the chickens.  Sometimes we stored the corn in the corn house and then shelled as needed.
• Making sure everyone had boots and mittens to ward off the coming winter cold.
• Stacking firewood and splitting kindling.  We had a wood fired cookstove and furnace, which took a lot of wood.

What winter preparation tasks do you undertake as autumn winds down.  Do you have specific ones you remember from childhood?

Harvest Time

Harvest time on the farm extended from the first haying in June throughout the summer until corn silage time in the fall.  Often the farmers would help one another and go from farm to farm for oats and corn gathering.  They would set up the equipment and bring the grains in from the field to bag and store and, with silage, put into the silo.

This was a time, too, when the women prepared noon meals for the larger crew.  Perhaps two or three of the neighbor ladies would gather at the home where harvesting was being done and do the cooking.  Mother often had a neighbor lady help her, one who often babysat for us children, too.  As Sister and I grew older, we helped with the cooking and serving.

Even though this was hard work in summer and fall, it was a good time as well.  Stories were told, reminiscenses shared, and neighborhood news spread. 

I've even found some photos my mom took in the 1930s of the men harvesting the oats and straw, with the threshing machine set up before the building we called the "straw barn." 

I've realized I need to record these memories for my children and grandchildren, as part of their heritage.  Are you doing this with yours?

Garden Gathering Time

As summer came to a close, we were furiously gathering goodies from the garden (a large one at the far end of the house) to enjoy, but also to preserve for winter food.  Much of our food was grown on the farm.  We purchased very little if we could raise it ourselves.

Mother and we girls were canning tomatoes which we enjoyed stewed throughtout the cold weather months.  Potatoes were dug and put into the bin in the cellar.  Pumpkins and squash soon would follow.  The last of the cucumbers we made into pickles.

The beans had been canned with a few pickled as a special treat.  Sweet corn had been cut from the cob and canned. Beets were pulled, then canned or pickled.

The garden was becoming bare and we looked forward to plentiful meals during the winter.

(Image: sxc.hu)

Preserving Summer's Bounty
Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
5-Piece Home Canning Kit
7-Piece Home Canning Set