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Post by hmoosek on Jul 11, 2022 17:16:01 GMT -6
It’s been a very long time 70’s maybe (way before this century anyways) since any of my kinfolk have farmed land. We grew Cotton and Corn mostly back then. When we gathered our dried corn, it went like this. Each one would walk down the middle of two rows throwing our corn in the back of the truck. One of us would move the truck as we went. As matter of fact, It was right here where I live now I decided not to be a farmer. Back then, this was one of our farms. One afternoon I’m walking down the rows of corn muttering to myself, hot as all get out, gnats flying up my nose, no breeze, sweating myself silly. I muttered “I sure ain’t going to be a farmer!” That’s not exactly the words I used, but you get the gist. I know no one probably gathers corn like that these days, but my question is…. I’m noticing they are leaving 4 or 5 rows of corn every so often in the field. In other words, there will be a field that’s been gathered, stalks cut, mowed and they leave behind all these rows of the ungathered corn. Does anyone know why? I noticed multiple fields doing this. Im just curious. On another note, I’m lucky enough to still have our old implements. The first one is an old stalk cutter and the second one is our corn roller. They have seen a lot of use over the years, but both are resting comfortably these days. The old farm looks much different than it did in the old days. None of those trees existed then. The farm goes on beyond the farthest trees for about 3/4 of a mile and gets wider as well. Most of the land is covered in trees now.
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 11, 2022 18:28:31 GMT -6
Bon,
It’s possible they are saving for seed, but I just assumed they were growing gmo corn. Might not have been though.
I’d probably been better off staying on the farm instead of off working. After I got older I learned to appreciate farming and loved sitting on top of my Farmall.
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Post by macmex on Jul 12, 2022 5:24:20 GMT -6
My guess is that they left that corn because they want to feed/attract deer. Some farmers make a lot of money leasing hunting rights on their land. Leaving some standing corn would be a good investment in a lucrative aspect of their farm.
I doubt there's one in a thousand farmers growing non hybrid corn and probably one in a hundred growing non gmo now. I am pretty sure that I will only grow Mesquakie Indian corn from here on out. Can't stretch, hardly enough, these days to even grow that, but I am very attached to it.
Having said that, if I lived where cross pollination was a problem and was starting out with a clean slate, in regard to varieties, I'd probably consider Rebellion, a new open pollinated variety, developed for productivity, resilience and resistance to outcrossing. Take a gander at Sandhill Preservation Center's Corns and look for Rebellion. Personally, I can't go there without drooling over all those heirlooms, but I've learned to window shop, recognizing my limits. I thank God for folks like this who preserve and sell such diversity.
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Post by woodeye on Jul 12, 2022 7:13:19 GMT -6
You have a great looking place, hmoosek!! Cool that you scored all the old farm implements. I don't see any cedar trees though. If you need some cedar trees, message me.
Another possibility on the rows of corn left in fields is for crop insurance. I read that adjusters come out and test the corn that is left in the rows so they will know what condition the field of corn was really in.
Personally, I want it to be left for the deer so that they will leave my garden alone.
My oldest brother moved away in the 60's because he didn't want to be called a farmer, and didn't like the humidity in Oklahoma.
I have some old implements left, but I use one of them occasionally, the hay rake. I can pull it with my four wheeler or tractor depending on where I want to use it.
Anyway, outstanding post & photos, hmoosek...
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 12, 2022 11:55:39 GMT -6
I’ve got those and some old middle busters. A cream separator and a few other items. We used to have a lot more, but I had another uncle that sold it off as scrap before I could intervene. My Uncle that lived here on the farm was way too nice and let his brother sort of take over.
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Post by woodeye on Jul 12, 2022 14:42:07 GMT -6
I know what you mean. I've had some items that somehow grew legs and walked off, never to be seen again.
This is the hay rake I spoke of. I'm sure everybody has seen one of these. I remember riding on this thing when I was kid, and the old Allis Chalmers tractor in the background, which was driven by my dad, pulled it along. The hay rake has a foot control and lever to operate. I have a cable attached to it so I can raise it and dump a load of grass out in the pasture while I'm still sitting on the four wheeler. It rakes grass real well if you prune a few limbs from trees and scatter them out in the yard. Then start raking and it will gather up the pruned limbs, which makes the grass that has been mowed start rolling and making a bale. After that grass roll gets going it will continue until the rake gets completely full. It just doesn't work for short grass clippings unless you have some small tree limbs for the grass to grab onto.
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Post by woodeye on Jul 13, 2022 8:35:30 GMT -6
I don't have any idea how old that hay rake is, but I know it's older than me and I'm ancient. I imagine that it has been pulled by a team of mules back before my dad bought the tractor. They did a lot of work with mules, including sorghum harvesting and making the molasses from it. It all happened just a few years before my time, so I never got to see them actually make the molasses. Oh but I've heard the stories.
If I had a sickle mowing attachment for my Kubota I'd use the rake a lot more. It rakes native grass real well. The old Allis had the sickle attachment, but the Allis gave up the ghost 30+ years ago and is beyond the point of restoration as far my skills go...
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 13, 2022 9:10:15 GMT -6
I got thrown off a horse, head-first into an old hay rake just like that one once. Hitting the tines is probably why I didn't get a broken neck. It was a 5-year-old horse that had never been saddled before. A couple of times per year, the old men would get a wild horse up in the old corral, snub it up tight to a railroad tie planted deep in the ground, then curry it and eventually get a saddle on it. When it was saddled and bridled, they'd get one of us boys, (usually me) to get up on it and someone would lead it out of the gate and turn it loose.
When I crawled out from under the tines of the old hay rake, the horse came after me, all four feet off the ground, ears thrown back, stirrups flying, trying to stomp me to death. One minute, Dad was yelling, "Get off that ^#*$! horse before it kills ya!" The next, he was yelling, "Get back on that *^&% horse before it kills ya!"
Times like that are part of the reason why I'm not a rancher today. We ran about 90 head of mama cows and two or three bulls. My entire growing up years were spent cutting, mowing, raking, and hauling hay, or working cows, or breaking horses. We had about 9 head of good work horses, up to 38 head when we ran the riding stables at Sequoyah State Park. I way prefer farming.
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 13, 2022 9:26:16 GMT -6
Back then, that's what they did on Sunday afternoons for entertainment.
I did eventually get that horse broke to ride. It took most of the summer, but I got it done.
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 13, 2022 9:38:29 GMT -6
I haven’t ridden a horse in a mighty long time. I had one that would do his best to get you off him including run under anything low hanging. He would also try to take a plug out of you with his teeth! I don’t miss horses at all!
I always liked messing with cattle, but they can be a pain in the rear. They will run you over too. I was working some cattle with a fellow. I tried to tell him he was going to get hurt, but he shrugged me off. He picked up a 2” iron pipe that was several feet long and was going to use it as a human fence to move cattle into the corral. Well you can imagine how well that went. That old cow ran him over and tried to wrap the pipe around his head. He had a gash on forehead that required several stitches. My uncle got on to me for not stopping him from using the pipe. I simply said “I did warn him.”
a good cow dog is indispensable. I’d take a good cow dog over 6 adults waving their arms around.
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Post by woodeye on Jul 13, 2022 9:50:02 GMT -6
I sure glad that's where you landed, HeavyHitter. Just think how many lives, besides your own, would have been changed if the rake wasn't there. Wow!
The part of the story about your dad hollering was hilarious though.
No rake involved in my story, and no horse involved, but still your story about a big 'ole horse that wanted to end your existence, brings back this story to my mind. It was back in the 70's, my in-laws, or out-laws depending on who is talking about them, had a big heifer that they wanted to sell cheap, they were selling out and quitting the cattle business. I wanted it to have it butchered, so on roundup day the heifer was corralled with its mother cow. Forgot to mention the breed, they were Charolais. I had no experience with that breed, but hey they look docile to me.
So the loading began, or that was the plan anyway. Tried to coax them into the loading chute, they were not impressed with that at all. Tried long boards and such to prod them with, still no-go. When the mother had her fill of our attempts, she jumped like a 1,200 lb. deer, right over the corral. She tore down parts of the corral on her exit, thus her 'baby' 700 lb. heifer calf could escape too.
Out to the pasture they ran, a big pasture, 40 acres. Not wanting to let this $100 heifer get away for good, I went after her. My mom and dad followed along. Out in the pasture the mother cow was not enthralled by my presence. She and I stood our ground, which placed us about 30 yards apart. We just stood there staring at each other for quite awhile. Well patience is not my best virtue, so I pawed the ground and snorted a few times, just like any other idiot would do in this situation. Mama cow was not happy at this, and all of a sudden here she come!!
And she was fast! And had a headstart because I was in shock because I couldn't believe a cow was chasing me. When I gathered enough wits to take off, I ran with all my might and she was bellowing loud, right on my heels. I could here her hooves clipping the grass, and the thundering of hooves on the ground. Somehow I managed to outrun her to the nearest tree, which also happened to be the only tree in the pasture. So up I went as fast as I could go, and I was safe.
But it's also the only time in my life that my mom and dad and myself were in the same tree at the same time.
The next day some guys came with horses and got the heifer for me...(whew)
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 13, 2022 11:10:35 GMT -6
Loving the stories!
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Post by woodeye on Jul 13, 2022 15:06:33 GMT -6
All three of ya in the tree! haha Yeah, it seems that cattle have an innate ability to bring families closer together. We were always a close family, but never got closer than we were that day...
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Post by hmoosek on Jul 13, 2022 17:15:18 GMT -6
My Aunt named all the cattle. She watched as the world turns everyday. Let’s see, there was Lisa, Bob, Penny. I can’t remember anymore.
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