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God Bless America
By Jerry L. Ginther
Many years ago during the late 70's and early 80's, I took some pleasure in the business of farming. Having enjoyed the Ag classes in Sullivan and belonging to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) during my High School years, I later engaged in the occupation on a small scale, relatively speaking. I say relatively, because when comparing 100 acres to today's farming operations, it would be considered less than peanuts. However, it wasn't my "bread and butter" job, but mostly an expensive hobby. My father and brothers all farmed, so I thought it was in my DNA. I truly loved it, but due to my more reliable full time job with the railroad, there was no expanding the acreage.
Often, I would have to do my fall plowing at night on my days off. Moonlit, autumn nights were my favorite times to plow. The fragrance of the newly plowed earth hung in the cool, night air. The brilliantly scoured moldboards reflected the moonlight like mirrors when they were raised out of the ground at each end of the field. So bright was the light from the moon that I could plainly see the furrow ahead without using the headlights on the little model A John Deere. Preferring not to use them because of the fog of bugs they attracted, they were only switched on at each end of the field to illuminate the headland for the drive to the other side of the plowed ground. Of course with each pass through the field the area of plowed ground increased in width, making the drive across the ends longer. Once the right rear wheel of the tractor was in the furrow and the trip rope pulled, the plow settled back into the ground and the headlights were extinguished until needed for the next turn around.
As long as there were no mechanical problems to deal with in the darkness, one could accomplish a lot in the coolness of the evening, and enjoy the pleasant aroma of the sweet clover and damp earth as it was rolled over by the two bottom, moldboard plow. The steady putt putt of the two cylinder John Deere engine was the only reminder that I was actually working and not just enjoying an evening out under the stars. Occasionally, the plow would run into some tougher sod and cause the governor on the tractor's engine to open and raise the volume of the steady putt putt sound into a somewhat louder pop pop. The louder report from the tractor's laboring engine served as a complaint that it was working harder than it wanted to. It seemed as though the tractor was reminding me that it was doing all of the work and I was just along for the ride. However, once out of the hard draft of the wet soil, the louder popping of the engine returned to a smooth and consistent rhythm. With its work load reduced the tractor was saying, "I can handle this; nothing to it. Let's plow all night." It was nice to have a tractor with a good attitude about its work. Really, I think it just loved that gasoline, because it could drink all the time it was working, day or night.
It may sound a bit goofy, but I think farmers talk to their John Deere tractors more than the other brand names simply because they have a human first name, John. Also, when they talk about their tractors they refer to them on a first name basis. When the tractor won't start, they say things like, "John didn't feel like going to the field this morning until I charged his battery." Of course, John probably suffered more than a little verbal abuse often applied with a large measure of colorful language while getting his battery charged. But, farmers have been known to retract all criticism when John is able to return to work, praising him for the good old tractor he had always been. Of course, John is happy to return to the field and drink more gasoline without taking offense to the boss's earlier displeasure, confirming what I said about a tractor with a good attitude.
I can also confirm that, on a small scale at least, you'll need another source of income to support the farm. Even if you are a gambler at heart, you'll likely lose on the odds of breaking even on a small operation. However, regardless of the size of the operation, the uncontrollable elements on which one must take chances are the same. To mention just a few of those, there is the weather, which will definitely affect yield. Add to that, grain prices at harvest, insects, fuel, fertilizer and herbicides.
Yes, it's a lot of fun as a hobby if you can afford to pay while you play.
Jerry L. Ginther
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