The Great Gampy Farmer

Sep
12

Post by community member:

It was the depression. We had a small farm with such good soil that we could grow anything planted. We had potatoes, corn, beets, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, and lots of good things. We had an orchard with trees laden with apples, pears, plums, and cherries.

We had a few cows that gave us milk to drink. My mother would churn butter, make cheese, and curds and whey.

We raised a few chickens that laid eggs. If a chicken got too old to lay we would butcher it and have a chicken dinner.

My clothes were tattered and patched. My father used to tell me to be thankful that I had enough to eat. I later realized what he meant when I saw and talked with my school friends. Their clothes were tattered and patched, too. When my friends told me how they often went to bed hungry, it made me very sad. My mother always managed to have something in my lunch pail. With a heavy heart, I remember that sometimes when I finished my lunch some of my friends would come to see if there was anything left that they could have–often, I would leave a little extra on purpose.

In the summer, I went barefoot. In the winter, when my father butchered a cow, or deer, or elk, or even a bear, he would save the skins. He would cut off strips of hide and tie them around my feet and legs. We called these ‘Onoochki.’ One very cold winter, he took a strip of hide and made me a cape-like coat. Once, he took some hide, stuffed it with straw, sewed it up, and I had a football.

These are some of my memories of the depression.

Great Gampy Farmer wrote down his memories of the Great Depression almost 35 years ago. He was the son of a farmer.

Like me, he had a thing with hats. This sombrero has gone full circle. Here it is on Great Gampy Farmer. I think he looks good in purple….and sequins.

The footsteps of those before us…. If only Gammy Farmer’s shoes could talk–oh, the questions I would ask. They have been used–really used. Yet, the shoe strings are near pristine. I think these strings never dragged upon the floor or dirt road. I think Gammy Farmer’s shoes were always neatly tied. Do you think Great Gampy Farmer took pride in knowing Gammy Farmer had shoes? Did he teach her to appreciate her shoes? Did she walk to him, when they became untied, and ask him to tie them for her?

Why do you think Gammy Farmer bronzed my farmer’s shoes? Was it a trend of the time? Or, are they like a message in a bottle? Are these bronzed shoes, frozen in time, carrying the message–‘appreciate that you have shoes?’

I keep my shoes and the shoes of Gammy Farmer, together, side-by-side. The shoes are different–they are from different times, different generations, and they hold different stories. Yet, their message is the same.

The sombrero isn’t the only thing to go full circle. I think Great Gampy Farmer would have been proud that I can make my own cheese, that I even know what curds and whey are, and if need be, I would not hesitate in making Onoochkis for my own.

Every day is a good day to appreciate your shoes. At least, that is what this farmer, granddaughter to the Great Gampy Farmer, the son of a farmer, believes.

Farmer blogs at Rose Hill Farm.

Interested in contributing to the Farm Bell blog? Read information here for Farm Bell blog submissions.

Want to subscribe to the Farm Bell blog? Go here.




Comments

  1. glenda says:

    I loved this story.

    I think a lot about how we who live on farms large or small are so fortunate.

    We can eat even if times are very bad and money is scarce.

  2. Patrice says:

    What sweet memories! There are so many people in our culture that have so much. We don’t always appreciate what we have. It’s beautiful to see that your beloved grandparents gave you the legacy of being grateful.

  3. marymac says:

    your sweet memories brought tears to my eyes. Really makes you stop and think.

  4. Dede ~ wvhomecanner says:

    Great story! And I think more of us are coming full circle in some ways and may not realize it. It’s difficult for many to comprehend what it would be like to make do with only what we have on hand or can grow or make.

  5. CindyP says:

    Lovely post, farmer 🙂

    I’ve been talking with my dad of all the things I’m learning and doing to be more self-sufficient, he said “You sound like my Ma.” What a compliment 🙂

  6. Vicki in So. CA says:

    Lovely post, farmer. Just a little note to all… Talk to your parents/grandparents. Ask them about their past. Get them to tell you stories of how it was “way back when.” Because when they’re gone, the stories are gone forever. I speak from experience. I wish I had asked far more questions than I did.

  7. Elizabeth says:

    Your post put a smile on my face and appreciation in my heart, thank you.

  8. AnnaMoon says:

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful memories, Farmer. I was raised on a waning farm where we raised cattle (beef), pigs and chickens. We still had big farm gardens and hay fields the entire family tended and harvested, and each family had their own kitchen potagers for growing favorites. We had an orchard and raised honey bees, too. My brother and I were the only grandchildren who actually grew up “on” the farm as my dad purchased a couple acres from his parents to build our home. Though I’ve traveled the world and near every spot of our beautiful country my mind always drifts home with such fond memories. I’m surely glad I grew up on that farm and learned the things I did about the basics of what it means to live from the land, because it makes it so much easier to appreciate all that came after. Thanks again for sharing your memories…

Add Your Thoughts



Search Farm Bell Recipes

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Filter by Categories
All Recipes
Appetizers & Snacks
Bagels
Bean Soups
Beans
Beans, Grains & Rice
Beef
Beverages
Biscuits
Blog
Boiling Water Bath
Bread Machine
Breads
Breakfast
Brownies
Budget
BWB Condiments
BWB Fruits
BWB Jams, Jellies, Butters & Preserves
BWB Marmalades & Conserves
BWB Other
BWB Pickles & Pickled Stuff
BWB Salsas
BWB Sauces
BWB Tomatoes & Combos
BWB Vegetables
Cakes
Candy
Canning
Casserole
Casserole
Casserole
Cereals
Cheese
Cheesecakes
Chilis
Chowders
Cobblers
Coffee Cake
Cold Remedies
Condiments
Cookery 101
Cookies & Bars
Cream Soups
Crisps
Crock Pot
Crowd-Size
Crusts
Cupcakes
Cure & Smoke
Dairy
Dehydrating
Desserts
Diabetic
Dips
Doughnuts
Dressings
Egg Dishes
Eggs
Entertaining
Fat-Free
Featured
Fermenting
Fillings
Fish
Food Photography
Freezing
Frostings & Icings
Frozen
Fruit Breads
Fruit Cakes
Fruit Salads
Fruits
Gift Basket Goodies
Giveaways
Gluten-Free
Goat Cheeses
Gourmet
Gravies
Griddles
Grill-Outdoor Cooking
Hard Cheeses
Herbs & Spices
Holiday
Homemade Cheese
How To
Ice Creams
Ingredients
Ingredients & Mixes
Jell-O
Jell-O Salads
Kid-Friendly
Kitchen Gadgets
Kosher
Lactose-Free
Lamb
Leftovers
Lettuce & Greens
Low-Carb
Low-Fat
Low-Sodium
Main Dish
Marinades
Meat Salads
Meet the Cook
Muffins
Non-Dairy
Old-Fashioned
One Dish Meal
Other Breads
Other Breakfast
Other Condiments
Other Dairy
Other Desserts
Other Main Dish
Other Salads
Other Side Dishes
Other Soups & Stews
Other Special Diets
Pasta
Pasta
Pasta Salads
Pastries
PC Beef
PC Chicken
PC Meats
PC Other
PC Poultry
PC Soups & Stews
PC Veggies
Pets
Pickling
Pies
Pizza
Pizza Crusts
Pork
Potato Salads
Potatoes
Potluck
Poultry
Presentation
Preserving
Pressure Canning
Pressure Cooker
Puddings & Custards
Recipe Requests
Relishes & Chutneys
Rolls
Rubs
Salads
Salads
Salsas
Sandwiches
Sauces
Scones
Seafood
Side Dishes
Soft Cheeses
Soups & Stews
Sourdough
Special Diets
Special Occasions
Steam Juicer
Stocks
Stuffings
Substitutions
Syrups
Tarts
Tips & Tricks
Tortillas & Pitas
Using FBR
Vegan
Vegetable Breads
Vegetable Salads
Vegetables
Vegetarian
Wild Game
Yeast Breads


If you would like to help support the overhead costs of this website, you may donate. Thank you!





Thanks for being part of our community!