Here we are at Feb. 1, 1924. Winter is slushing and sloshing towards spring, and seasons will unfold as they always have! I’ve got to get busy.
Let’s look at a bit of history. The years 1909-1914 were sometimes called “the golden age of agriculture in the U.S.” Increased prices of farm products and farmland values raised the purchasing power of farmers. Then came World War I.
The federal government insisted farmers increase production so that agriculture exports could help Europeans during the war years. Farmers borrowed money to buy new equipment to increase production and some borrowed to buy more land. Acres that had never been touched were plowed and put into corn, wheat and cotton production. Prices soared.
In 1919, times were good for the farmer. Wheat was bringing $3.50/bushel, and corn topped at $1.98/bushel.
But just four years later, things had changed drastically. The bottom fell out of the markets! Wheat was selling for $.89/bushel, and corn at $.62/bushel. Hog prices in July 1919 were $20.10 cwt but in July 1923 were only $6.45 cwt. In July 1919, cattle were selling for $13.30 cwt, but by July 1923, the price had plunged to just $7.88 cwt.
Borrowed money could not be paid off. Farmers kept producing at World War I levels, trying to cover expenses. Thousands of farmers have gone broke and moved off the farms. The federal government apparently thinks they can pass bills and legislate farming. They can’t! Look what has happened to us in the last 10 years.
Considering new practices – and old frustrations (like unpredictable weather)
Now I’m feeling that we farmers are in the midst of a huge financial depression. Our farm broke even in 1923. How can I do better in 1924? First of all, I need to look at my successes last year. We got our crops planted properly and harvested in a timely manner. No animals were lost to disease or injury. We had a good sow-to-weaned pig ratio of 1 to 5. We were blessed with favorable weather.
I need to look seriously at doing more contour plowing, cultivation and strip cropping. These practices may not show up immediately on the profit and loss columns, but I think it behooves me to save this farm, as best as I know how, from losing its rich top soil by erosion.
Some ag papers report that adding manure, limestone, rock phosphate, superphosphate, and muriate of potash can increase crop production. I am already adding all manure produced by my livestock to the fields. Now, I need to research the cost of each of these minerals and compare those costs to any potential increase in grain and livestock sales they may fetch.
Perhaps I need to change the four-year crop rotation system I’m using, particularly the grasses and legumes.
Weather is something I have absolutely no control over, and yet it can make or break me. Tornadoes are very possible in this area. Last year, seven tornadoes occurred in Iowa between May 29 and Sept. 28. High winds can flatten the crops, and hot winds can cook them. Hail can destroy a season of work in minutes. I continually pray that we do not experience drought. Insects such as chinchbugs and grasshoppers seem to thrive in hot, dry periods. Different weed species thrive in varying weather conditions.
Our vegetable garden reacts directly to weather trends. No rain or too much rain will show up on the bottom line of the financial page as well as our dinner table. I try to work with nature, not against her.
And what about these new breeds?
A lot of advertising touts the good points in various breeds of beef cattle. For instance, which is the better beef: Hereford or Black Angus? Or how about Texas Longhorns or some new European breeds coming into the U.S.? The cattle barons and ranchers in our Plains states send their calves to the Midwest, and we feed them. Pound for pound, can I feed my grains and hay to these “good or choice” range cattle and expect as much profit as if I fed out “prime” Angus or Herefords? Many an hour has been spent around the pot belly stove at the local hardware store arguing that question. Over time, the answer to that query may determine the fate of a family farm.
As I look at the past and future, I wonder if there are any ways to diversify the products coming off our farm each year. Is it possible to grow flax here in southern Iowa? What does it take to plant, cultivate and harvest a flax crop – and then what do you do with the seed and straw?
Should we be planting an orchard? It takes years for those apple, peach, pear and cherry trees to produce fruit. How much manual labor is needed to trim yearly, pick, process and sell the products? I’ve heard that raising turkeys can be profitable. What are the pitfalls and advantages, and what housing, feed and care are necessary? Should we try raising and selling molasses? Is there anything else I can try to increase profits immediately as well as in the future?
I want the best for my family
Yes, I’ve talked mostly about this farm and what has gone on, but it’s time to look at the future, particularly and emphatically at the future for my wife and children. When can I take them on a trip? When can we travel to distant states and see the world that exists beyond the boundaries of this township?
Presently, we are all enjoying good health, but I sometimes worry about potential doctor bills resulting from injuries, polio, mumps, diphtheria, smallpox, measles or flu. We try to take care of these things here at home, but at times, a doctor is needed.
What am I doing to my wife by keeping her on the farm? She has given me so much help. She stands side by side with me as I work with pigs, cattle and in the garden. My wife runs the household, nurtures the children, and supports and encourages me. I know she worries about me. At times, I must isolate myself from the family and simply quietly release my emotions. I don’t want anybody to see me when, in frustration, I get into that state of distress and feeling of helplessness and failure. She believes in me – I can’t let her down!
I am blessed to live in, work with and observe Mother Nature. I love watching the beauty of each season. Witnessing the life cycle of plants and animals is a mystery: a kernel of corn sprouting, the smell of a freshly plowed field or new hay in the barn, a foal being born, an acorn lying dormant and then bursting forth with life, a mother sow with her litter of new pigs, the beauty of a sunrise or sunset! Where, but on the farm, can these things be observed?
Facing a life-changing decision
I’ve always believed there needs to be a balance of religion or spiritualism with materialism. It seems like lately, I’ve been caring more about material things and making this farm profitable than I have about our spiritual growth. I seek profits, a new car, a tractor, and I want to show the neighbors how good of a farm family we are. My ego could be very dangerous if I continue.
Perhaps I need to change my thinking. What skills will I need if I were to seek another job or profession? Would a change enable me to provide a better life for my beautiful wife and four children? Would we be able to buy a new car? Could we travel? Have fun? Help others?
Should I borrow money to keep the farm going by replacing some worn-out and outdated equipment? A tractor? Should I even think about possibly purchasing more land? What if that borrowed money can’t be repaid on time?
I’ve seen three neighbors walk away from their farms with their families this past year. Apparently, they are getting work in the larger towns. One has gone to a factory and is working on an assembly line. That is a long way from farming!
Sometimes, I know the future will get better. I have faith that it will. And my children will get bigger and be able to help more. Farming is essential because people will always need to eat!
I’ve got some serious thinking to do and I need to make some decisions very soon. When adding up all the trends I’ve seen in the last several years, does it make sense to stay on this farm? We have broken even the last two years with our grain and livestock programs. The sale of eggs and cream has provided some income, which allowed us to purchase the bare necessities for food and clothing. Without the raw and canned garden production and butchered livestock, we would surely be hungry.
I am not a quitter. I do not like to fail! But a decision to leave the farm or stay must be reached. And soon. FC
Retired school principal Don McKinley grew up on a farm in southwest Iowa. In writing this series, he gratefully acknowledges the assistance of his daughter, Connie Palmer. Don has created a museum of 1930s vintage farm collectibles at his home in Quincy, Illinois. Contact him at 1336 Boy Scout Rd., Quincy, IL 62305; email: deerroad@adams.net. Visit his Facebook page at 1930s Ag Museum.