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?

Apple Time Memories on the Farm

Apple time meant hours in the orchard when I was growing up. Although Father was a dairy farmer, he also operated an orchard and grew apples to sell. One of my tasks was going to the orchard after school and on weekends to pick apples for our use and to send to market.


The views from the orchard were spectacular since it was near the top of the "Big Hill" on our farm. From there we could view the Hudson River Valley in the distance and, on clear days, the Catskill Mountains west of the river.

Father initially purchased a second farm adjoining ours.  It had an old orchard, but the trees did produce.  There were old varieties including Baldwins.  Father decided to expand and planted 500 trees in the next field which was on our original farm on the "Big Hill."  These consisted or Red and Yellow Delicious, Mcintosh and Cortlands.

From somewhere he purchased a sprayer pulled behind the tractor.  He learned about apple growing and marketing and did most of that work himself.  It was his hobby turned productive.

In the fall, the rest of the family was recruited as we picked and picked and picked.  A neighbor lady, named Kate, came each fall to pick apples.  Kate did housework and yard work for various people to earn her living.  She seemed to enjoy climbing up the ladder into the trees and picking apples.

When apple time comes around each fall, my apple memories surface.  The hard work translated into the work ethic instilled into farm children of those days. 

You also might want to check out: Apples, Apples Everywhere - Favorite Recipes from America's Orchards.

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

Dogs on the Farm

Several dogs come to mind when I think of life on the farm.  They were cow dogs, but were gentle with us children, too.

Shep was the dog of my early childhood.  He was a collie and was living there when I was born.  Dan, our hired man, sent Shep for the cows in the pasture late afternoon, and he would round them up.  I don't know if Dan was the one who trained him or whether my dad did.

Shep was tolerant of us children and seemed like one of the family.  We even had a birthday cake for him on his birthday in December.  As I recall, Mother said that was the month he was born.

Bud Rover followed Shep, who died of old age.  We acquired him as a pup, when Shep was getting stiff and unable to round up the cows.  He was part German Shepherd and part collie.  My sister and I wanted to call him Rover and my brother opted for Bud.  So Mother combined the names to satisfy us all, and Bud Rover answered to either or all.

Dan took him along when getting the cows for milking, and Bud Rover soon learned his task.  However, he wasn't so good on his own as Shep was.

Dasher was a dash hound we acquired, I don't know from where.  Low to the ground and comical, he wasn't much of a cow dog.  But he became one of the family and followed my brothers around.  By now, Dan had retired, and we youngsters called in the cows and sought out the elusive ones in the pasture.  Dasher came along for the run on his short legs, but didn't scare the cows much, I think.

I left for college when we still had Dasher and married after graduation.  However, my brothers had several dogs to help them on the farm in those years.  Generally the dogs we had were working dogs and expected to help us in the pasture.  They often liked to follow us to the hay fields, too.

What were the dogs in your life on the farm?

Farm Dogs: A Celebration of the Farm's Hardest Worker

School Time for Farm Children

For my first four years of school, I attended a one-room schoolhouse.  There were six grades, taught by one teacher.  This time of year, I looked forward to going back and seeing all my friends.

Sister and I had new dresses for the first day.  My brothers had new pants (not jeans for school) and shirts.  Even though money wasn't plentiful, Mother got us something new to wear for starting school.  Getting a new "store bought" dress was something I looked forward to.  (Mother made many of our clothes on her treadle sewing machine.  But she purchased dresses for starting school.)

The school was about half a mile from our farm.  Mother or Father drove us to school in the morning.  But most days we walked home from school, carrying our bookbags and lunch boxes. 

I've been trying to find a picture of the Poughquag Schoolhouse but have only come across one on a postcard that probably was an earlier version.  The building seems somewhat different from what a friend and I recall.  So we're wondering if the original school was distroyed or dismantled an a newer one built when we attended.

In a desire to recapture my one-room school memories, I've begun writing my One-Room School Heritage blog.

Some books available about one-room schools around the country.  (Eventually I should compile my blog entries into a book with photos and sketches.)

Legacy of One-Room Schools
One-Room Country Schools: History and Recollections from Wisconsin
Northwest Indiana One Room School

Tips for Developing Your Own Blog for Fun or Profit

As blogging grows more and more popular, whether for business, keeping connected with friends and family, or simply for fun, it's a good idea to keep up with what's current in the blogging world. Also, if you're just beginning, it's helpful to have some guidelines.


Blogging All-In-One for Dummies, by Susan Gunelius, is an excellent resource, I've discovered. Even though I've been blogging for quite some time, first just to try it out with a personal blog, and then to promote my books and workshops, as well as writing for paying gigs, I've still much to learn about this activity.

Susan's book, actually 8 Books in 1, gives you so much information whether you're beginning or consider yourself a professional, whether you simply want to write about your life and activities or want to earn an income.

You may start with one blog to try it out.  Or you may have a cause or personal reason for writing your blog.  You may add different blogs to your repertoire, as I've done.

My most recent is this one, Farm Girl Heritage, because I wanted to preserve these memories for my daughter and her children.  Perhaps my sister's children and grandchildren would enjoy learning how their mom and aunt grew up.

Memories of Our Farm Produce Stand

As summer rolls along, sweet corn season approaches. Even though we may have purchased some at the store before this, nothing equals that found at a farm produce stand or right from our own garden. Corn crunched off the cob is delicious, something we look forward to each summer.

I'm also reminded of the years of my childhood on the farm, when we children operated a sweet corn stand along the highway in front of our house. Extra corn raised in the garden, that we didn't eat and Mother didn't can, we sold there. As we children became old enough, it was our job to wait on the customers.

We even made the signs. One year, customers called Mother's attention to a sign crayoned on cardboard, "Corn for Sail." She didn't tell us until some time later because she didn't want to discourage us in our venture. Also, this sign probably brought in more customers.

Our stand consisted only of a small table, money box, and baskets of corn.  Nothing fancy.  But it brought in grocery money (for items not raised on the farm) and for other small essentials.  We children didn't get the money for ourselves.  It was a family affair and all shared.  Friends looked forward to our sweet corn each year. 

We sometimes sold other produce, but mainly sweet corn.

Do you have farm produce stand memories?  And other farm memories?