Growing up on a farm made me somewhat more aware of the importance of watching the weather in terms of knowing how the crops were doing. My earliest recollection of weather and its severity was bought to mind when I witnessed the destruction done by a hail storm one summer's day. It was "pea sized" hail with a wind that could virtually ruin a corn or bean field, plus cause severe damage to grain crops also. One of the problems back then was the fact that there were no weather reports that were as accurate as today. A quiet summer afternoon rain shower could turn into a full-blown hail storm that wrecked everything in its path. Corn stalks with shredded leaves and leafless bean plants could be the end of a hard season's work with very little income to run a farm on.
Hail Insurance was a must to have, but the premiums were not cheap and the amount of damage that "hail adjusters" granted the farmer was sometimes not enough to cover the farmer's expenses. Strong winds in the fall could raise havoc with the corn crop, because it would knock down the corn stalks and make it impossible to pick them up with the nose of the corn picker machine and as a result, the farmer would have to get extra help to go out and pick up the corn lying on the ground.
Once the growing season ended, winter was on its way. Even though there was no threat to the crops, the winter's cold and windy days made life difficult at times. Dairy cows would usually be out in the feed lot area after being milked, but they were usually returned to the barn quickly after getting their drink of water. Other farm animals stayed close to their pen areas rather than face the harsh cold weather outside. The chickens stayed indoors all the time except during spring, summer and fall. The snow that accompanied the winter weather was always something to deal with also. Doing chores could be quite difficult with having to break through snow drifts to get from one farm building to another. One could shovel a path to various buildings only to have the path's drifted shut by the next morning. Cold weather also meant keeping the farm house warm also. Wood, coal and corn cobs were the main fuel used before oil heaters came along.
On any given winter day, keeping the house warm and tending to the farm animals would mean a hard and busy day's work. Once that was accomplished it was time for a hot supper, paying some bills, reading the paper, and listening to Cedric Adams and the 10:00 p.m. news. Then off to bed to get rested up for another winter's day when waking up. Ah! Yes! that was the good life on the farm.
Hail Insurance was a must to have, but the premiums were not cheap and the amount of damage that "hail adjusters" granted the farmer was sometimes not enough to cover the farmer's expenses. Strong winds in the fall could raise havoc with the corn crop, because it would knock down the corn stalks and make it impossible to pick them up with the nose of the corn picker machine and as a result, the farmer would have to get extra help to go out and pick up the corn lying on the ground.
Once the growing season ended, winter was on its way. Even though there was no threat to the crops, the winter's cold and windy days made life difficult at times. Dairy cows would usually be out in the feed lot area after being milked, but they were usually returned to the barn quickly after getting their drink of water. Other farm animals stayed close to their pen areas rather than face the harsh cold weather outside. The chickens stayed indoors all the time except during spring, summer and fall. The snow that accompanied the winter weather was always something to deal with also. Doing chores could be quite difficult with having to break through snow drifts to get from one farm building to another. One could shovel a path to various buildings only to have the path's drifted shut by the next morning. Cold weather also meant keeping the farm house warm also. Wood, coal and corn cobs were the main fuel used before oil heaters came along.
On any given winter day, keeping the house warm and tending to the farm animals would mean a hard and busy day's work. Once that was accomplished it was time for a hot supper, paying some bills, reading the paper, and listening to Cedric Adams and the 10:00 p.m. news. Then off to bed to get rested up for another winter's day when waking up. Ah! Yes! that was the good life on the farm.