Farm work

[J_Dee]

Did you do farm work growing up? Or do you still? I've rarely done any since I graduated high school and moved out (mid-1990s), and I don't miss it.

I never once had to deal with the cattle (they were my dad and grandpas' thing), but I despised hauling hay every summer. Tobacco was our main crop though. We usually did about 50 acres and my siblings and I got to work in it year 'round, every step. I do miss all of the home-grown fruit and veggies though. We grew and canned tomatoes, and we also had plenty of onions, corn, grapes, blackberries, strawberries, and watermelons, and pumpkins that my grandpa sold for a buck a pop.

Anyway, here are some pics of the old tobacco warehouse in Pulaski, on University Drive, sometime in the mid-1960s., from C. Tom Smith's collection, posted to Facebook courtesy of Tim Manning. I was born over a decade after these pics were taken, so this area looked a little different when I was a kid, but not a whole whole lot. The warehouse is gone now, town down not too long ago.

Spoiler

In the first pic, you can see Pulaski County High School in the top left. Best gym in the state!

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What are some of your memories of farm work? What do you like and dislike about it?

 

[Ron Mehico]

My father grew up on a wheat farm and at 87 he still has monster forearms.

 

[thabigbluenation]

Never did tobacco. Hauling hay, bush hogging. Helping move cows. Never a farmer but was sent out as a kid to help the others do shit jobs. First job was doing maintenance on the country club golf course. Not farming but i drove the tractor and every attachment associated with it. Learned a ton about field irrigation, drove the backhoe, front loader. Learned later on that we were just cheap child labor for the club. But we got to play on large equipment unlicensed or certified and they saved by not hiring actual contractors.

Now I have 16 acres, horses, chickens and guineas. Dogs and barn cats. Leased 7 for a friend that uses it to separate moms and babies, when it comes to sheep and heifers. Also has a donkey that runs the farm for the coyotes.

Neighbors young cow got out and was running the road in front of the house. Cops had no idea what to do. Wife jumped on the 4wheeler and Corraled that bitch up to a weak spot on the fence. Cops just high fived us. Lots of fixing fences. Cattle and horses can destroy everything just scratching their asses on posts.

I am no farmer. Just considered hobby farming free roam to be outside without neighbors

 

[thabigbluenation]

You ever enter a pig pen with 2 or 3 grown sows, don't fall down in the middle of them. What you think is cute cuddly will attack and eat your ass up if you ain't fast. Best way to get rid of a body. Shave the hair and smash the dental and burn. The Pigs will eat everything thing else bone and all. Pretty gruesome really.

 

[JonathanW]

My dad worked in a factory, but wished he was a farmer. Do we had some pigs some years, and yes they can be mean and dangerous; I would only go in with them if my collie dog was with me. And we grew tobacco 2 years. I know by brother hauled hay a few summers for family friends too.

Farmer strong is real.

 

[Keeping the faith]

Spent quite a few summers at my grandparents when I was young. Hauled hay, sometimes put up tobacco(glad I wasn't the one up at the top), helped with all kinds in the garden. Collected eggs from the henhouse, helped with the cows. Just a different life. They went to town once a month and spent most nights under the shade tree talking to whoever wanted to drop by. We rode in the back bed of the pickup standing up heading down to the barn and other times dangling our feet off the back tailgate driving down the road. Ate good 3 times a day and went to bed early because the next day starts before sunrise. Always fun was when grandma stayed up listening to the Wildcats on the radio. Just good memories.

 

[WayneDougan]

Farming is the easiest job in the world. You only work 3 days. 1) Seed 2) Spray 3) Harvest.

At least that is my perspective living next to a corn / soybean field.

 

[thabigbluenation]

I don't even know why we have farmers anymore when you can just go to Kroger's to get your food.