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And my shirt is still dryBy Trent Loos I thought my eldest daughter had an issue with history, and it turned out to be an even more embarrassing situation for myself. Over the weekend there was a local auction that took place in Mason City, Neb. Victor Crawford is slowing down a bit in his saddle and leather repair shop and decided to have an inventory reduction sale. This not only included leather tools and items but, also, everything that any old farm would stockpile in the barn as it was replaced with a newer, better model. I would like to say that I think it is fortunate that some people decide to hang stuff that is no longer used in the barn, as opposed to calling it "junk" and discarding it. Libbi went with me to look over the loot the night before the sale. I found an item and I was curious to see if she would know what it was. Of course, she did not. When my ten-year-old didn't know what a typewriter was, I was just astonished that something I grew up with, just one generation ago, could seem so outdated to her. How could she be so unaware of something so important in history? Little did I realize, until the next day at the sale, just how easy it is to lose touch with items used by our ancestors. Libbi's inability to call a typewriter by name left my memory early in this sale as I had no idea what most of the "farm" items held up and offered at auction were actually used for. Seemingly simple things were sold, like a "rope-doubled pulley fence tightener." I should have known what they were but I have never used anything but today's metal fence stretchers. Consequently, I was forced to show my ignorance to one of my neighbors. The older I get the more I realize that the value of these early farm tools is not monetary but, rather, in the story they tell about yesterday's food production system. It seems that there is such a drive to go back to "the good ole days" in agriculture. Well, that desire is fueled thoroughly by the people who didn't have to live through those days of extreme physical labor. There is a good reason that obesity wasn't much of an issue in those days, particularly on the farm! My greatest enjoyment in agriculture now comes on the days when I get to harness something and drive a team of horses or mules. My father-in-law is quick to tell me that he had to harness horses everyday as a kid and it was work. He much prefers his cab tractor and has no interest in going back. Actually, that is a common sentiment I get from the generation among us that did farm with horses years ago. While I understand the increased efficiency in food production related to diesel engines, I am concerned that not enough young people are learning about or understanding the concept of harnessing horses. Soon, very few, even in agriculture, will understand what it was really like. I made several purchases of items that have a story to tell but, today, I choose to share with you the story that my new scythe surely wants everyone to hear. Until 1840, in the United States, a scythe or cradle was the best tool in grain harvesting technology. I can tell you that one man, on a good day, could harvest two acres of wheat. That is not actually accurate because he could cut two acres of wheat. The "harvest" wasn't complete until that wheat was bundled and transported to a threshing area where 100 bushels of wheat must have generated a weeks worth of pride in the sense of accomplishment. This scythe was the technology of the day because, prior to the cradle, a hand sickle was the cutting tool of choice; and, in those days, one man could only cut one acre a day. About 1850 or so, a draft reaper was invented and it was reported that two men, one driving the team and the other one raking in the grain, could do the work of six men with a scythe and cradle combination in one day. Imagine how proud those guys must have been to garner 100 bushels of wheat from a field and call it a great day. Today, custom wheat harvesters are cutting wheat during one growing season in as many as five states and possibly two countries. The average man is cutting, binding and threshing as much as 150 acres in one day. With yields of 45 bushels per acre, one man is accumulating a pile that amounts to 6,750 bushels of wheat each day. He did that, by the way, in an air-conditioned cab while listening to the radio or an iPod and probably talking on a cell phone. This type of technology exists in all of food production today. And if you visit with anyone who is actually engaged in the business, guess what they will tell you is the greatest challenge to their operation? Labor--getting people to work, even with our modern technology and comforts. Joe Schmo off the street romanticizes about the good ole days in farming and thinks we should go back. I would be more than willing to bet that, after one day of using my new old scythe in the wheat field, he would quickly realize that modern agriculture is a great thing for everyone. That is the bottom line. Because farmers are willing to invest in innovations and technology, the United States consumer still has the cheapest supply of wholesome, safe food, and it comes to them without a drop of sweat equity! Editor's note: Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.FacesOfAg.com, or e-mail Trent at trent@loostales.com. 6/9/08 Date: 6/5/08
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