Today, we had to take a trip up to Juniper Gulch to service the irrigation system. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been working, and the part we’ve needed to fix it isn’t available anymore. Ken spent all day at his metal lathe making a new one, so now we need to go install it and see if it works.
Update: success! The part works, and the irrigation system is back on.
I also found an interesting poem about farming today. The issue of farm succession has been on my mind, as it can be complicated even among families. Some farmers don’t have family to pass their farms down to, and while others do, many family members don’t want the responsibility of caring for a farm. I think this poem (which, from what I can tell, comes from the 1920s) sums it up well:
Why One Boy Left The Farm
I left my Dad, his farm, his plow,
Because my calf became his cow;
I left my dad – ’twas wrong, of course –
Because my colt became his horse,
I left my dad to sow and reap
Because my lamb became his sheep;
I dropped my hoe and stuck my fork
Because my pig became his pork,
The garden truck I made to grow
Was his to sell and mine to hoe.
Why Another One Didn’t
With Dad and me it’s half and half,
The cow I own was once his calf;
No town for mine, I will not bolt,
Because my horse was once his colt;
I’m going to stick right where I am
Because my sheep was once his lamb;
I’ll stay with Dad – he gets my vote,
Because my hog was once his shoat;
It’s “fifty-fifty” with Dad and me –
A profit-sharing company.
I’ve now found this poem in multiple newspapers with minor variations. I wonder what the true origin of it is? While I’d love to go down this rabbit hole, I’ve got to go do chores.
Update: the origin of the poem seems to be this narrative from 1898, which may be the basis for its creation. The siren call of delving into useless trivia is hard to resist…