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Vol. 40 NO. 35
Farmers Reaping The Harvest, Each In Their Own Way,
To Make America The Best Fed Nation In The World
Since the 19405, wheat has been harvested
with a combine as the general practice of ter
mers across America. Starting with pull-type
machines that were rather primitive compared
to today’s huge, modern self-propelled mon
sters, termers abandoned the binder and
threshing rigs of earlier days.
For those who are old enough to remember,
there was some term family trauma in those
first days of the combine. The older generation
opposed the change based on the theory that
the modern method tailed to capture the chaff
with the straw, and thus reduced the value of
the straw to bed the steers. The next genera
tion wanted to go modem and save the back
breaking work of shocking and loading the
sheaves, and working the loose straw around
in the barn mows In the heat of July’s summer
humidity.
It’s hard to believe, isn’t it, that more than
half a century has passed since this drama
played on the advancing term scene? This was
all happening as tractors were replacing
horses as the preferred mode of power. There
is some recollection that a tractor was used to
pull the binder for a year or twodefore the com-
bins finally took its accsptsd placs in ths
records of history.
But in Amish communities in Pennsylvania,
Ohio, New York, Maryland, and other states,
time stands still. On local tarms, neighbors can
be seen in adjoining fields, each in their own
way, bringing in the harvest. The older genera
tion would be elated to know that at least some
farmers have kept their common sense and
604 Per Copy
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 8, 1995
still harvest wheat in the old-fashioned way.
In the photo above, the modern way can be
seen on the farm of Chris Carman, located Just
east of Ephrata, close to the intersection of
Routes 322 and 222 near the proposed new
Wal-Mart center. Below, the Amish farmer and
his family located north of Intercourse, along
Scenic Road, use real horse power to get the
Job done. The boy on the horse yells in “Dutch”
Fbur Sections
to keep all the horses in line to pull their share
of the load, and the little tots in back get a free
ride in the express wagon attached to the bin
der. What a joyous time a photographer can
have on a Monday afternoon in the middle of
harvest, recording the scenes of farmers as
they again reap the bounties of the fields that
make America the best-fed nation in the world.
Photoa by Evaratt Nawawangar, managing adltor.
$25.00 Per Year