Monday, April 12, 2010

You Been Farming Long?

I love this picture. My grandmother has had a copy of this hanging in her kitchen since before I was born. Those little boys are probably all grown up and are doctors or lawyers or mechanics... probably not farmers.


I grew up on a farm and am thankful for those who do that day in and day out. My father isn't a farmer but he does a very good job faking it. He has a garden...which isn't just your typical 3-4 rows of cucumbers and tomatoes. I think he's up to 30+ rows and does most of the work from his tractor, or so I thought. I was back at home for the Easter holiday and ended up getting put to work. I'm not a farmer. But I won't ever complain about paying $2 for a tomato. Planting those are hard work!



Each one has to be planted by hand after you've stretched the black ground cover. Multiply that by 52... You're talking back pain and a farmer's tan in no time!


You can't see them but there's vegetables in those rows. We planted potatoes, beets, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, zucchini, onions, and so much more. But, we're not done. In a few weeks it will be time for peas and corn. The work never ends. 



After I came home I decided to be crafty and make my dad a little gift for his farm garden. These are going on stakes and will mark all of our hard work... I never grew up wanting to be a farmer but it can be fun to pretend every once in a while. 



5 comments:

LEW said...

Those signs are cute! I need some! I planted a FEW plants (not rows) and have already forgotten what I planted where...

We have that "you been farming long" picture at our house too! i love it!

Anonymous said...

Do you know where I could buy the "You Been Farming Long" picture? We used to have one in our house and it's gone and I wanted to buy a new one if you have any information on purchasing a new one please e-mail me at countrygirl13@hotmail.com thank you

Anonymous said...

You probably wont believe this, but I went to college with one of those boys in the picture. He was in his 20s back in 1996. Darn it, if I can remember his name! Anyways, you said they probably arn't farmers, well the fact is they grew up in a farming family and the one I knew was a a Crop Science Major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. So, there you have it, a kind of update on your picture. They are about 40 now, time sure flies :)

Anonymous said...

I myself have always been in awe of this poster, There is a link on Pininterest for My Little farmers and the boy's mother's whole story about the photo from Sept of 1978, and her legal whows. I actually got close to where the photo was taken, just lately

Unknown said...

That is funny. I am one of the two in the picture and neither my brother nor I went to Cal Poly. In 1996 we would have been 19 and taking general education courses at a junior college in Visalia, CA. I was born in San Luis Obispo, coincidentally.