My family arrived at Westfalcon Farm just after noon – the sun was shining, a slight breeze was blowing across the open fields, but not hard enough to turn Mr. Squeaky (the 103-yr. old windmill that my children named),
and temperatures were holding steady at 70F. The day had come – 2,000 three-year old Christmas trees had arrived, bare root, and ready to plant. We all slipped into our work boots, grabbed our water bottles, and headed for the trail that would lead us to the old hay field.
Long grasses, sumac, birch trees, and white pines lined the foot path that had been recently mowed by my father in anticipation of the arrival of his helpers. The kids ran ahead with the dogs after hearing the distant hum of the tractor. I heard my mother exclaim “Well, look who’s here! How are you?” as we entered the clearing to the field. The kids replied “Hi, Grandma! We’re good.” and the dogs started whimpering with excitement as they love seeing Grandma and Grandpa.
“Boy am I glad you all are here.” my mom said as we neared the table where my mother and aunt were working diligently at trimming long tree roots, and dipping them in root gel.
“Where do you want us? We’re ready to work!” I greeted them with a smile.
Truth is, I had been looking forward to this day for the past month. I want, more than anything, to be a part of starting this Christmas tree business on the farm that my ancestors homesteaded in the late 1800’s. From the time I was a little girl, I have dreamed of living in the country – working hard on a farm. Thanks to my parents, I get a little taste of that.
“We really need stompers.” my mother said.
I looked out over the dusty field and saw my grandfather on top of the ’62 Massey-Ferguson tractor, waiting for my father. My father had been riding on the mechanical Christmas tree planter behind the tractor planting trees, but had stopped to help my uncle straighten the trees that had been planted, and stomp the ground around them in order to secure the roots.
“You got it.” I said.
Our family ran out to the old red tractor and began stomping. With additional stompers we were able to keep up with the tractor and the mechanical transplanter as my father plopped the young trees into the holes that the machine was opening up in the earth. Seeing the ease with which trees could be planted astounded me. A whole row could be planted as quickly as just a few trees planted by hand. As I tended to the trees, I had time to think about my great-grandfather and his family farming this very land.
In one of my great-grandfather’s memoirs, he reflected on working on the farm and wrote:
We children were very active as we planted all the potatoes. We would take a one-row walking cultivator and one horse and walk behind that for weeks. I started plowing on a 25 acre field using a Janesville walking plow. I was rather short and the plow handles would knock me over when I hit a rock – being just 12-years old. I would sit down on the edge of the furrow and cry. Soon I had mastered the job and loved to plow, although walking all day behind one would tire even a kid.
When cultivating season was over and the last hilling done, we would walk up and down the rows of potatoes pulling the weeds that had escaped the cultivator. Usually we planted 25 acres, but the year of 1914, we planted 42 acres. We kids picked all the potatoes and it was a heavy crop. At harvest time, we dug about 22 acres with our Hoover Digger, and 20 acres we dug with a fork.
I can’t imagine the awe my great-grandfather must have experienced as he transitioned from the hard manual labor of the early 1900’s to owning his first John Deere tractor in 1950.
There is one entry in his memoirs where he mentions this exact thing:
I think as I look back that the lives that had the fate to be lived during this period 1900 to 1974 have been blessed with the richest experiences of any lives. Because in this time, we have seen the first automobile, the first phonographs, and the first airplanes. In other words, all major improvements have come within these years.
After half of the field was planted, my mother drove back to the house to prepare lunch for the planting crew. By this time, my brother and his wife arrived to help with the trees too. Within a half an hour, my mother had returned with a potato bake, fresh fruit, coffee cake, and more. The adults sat on chairs surrounding a large wagon, and the kids climbed right on top of the wagon and sat right next to the food.
“Mom, I love that you brought the food out to the field – thank you!” I remarked.
“Oh you’re welcome! That’s how they used to do it back then.” She responded.
“Serving the food on the side of the field makes sense. It would take a lot longer to get the crew to the house, have them eat, and then come back out. This saves a lot of time.” I commented.
Everyone finished eating in no time, but grandpa had taken off somewhere, so I turned to my dad and asked him “Do you trust me to drive the tractor, Dad?”
“Absolutely!” he responded.
After a quick lesson, I was the one behind the big black wheel. The Massey-Ferguson jolted a couple of times as I eased off of the clutch a little too quick the first time. I looked back, crinkling up my nose, and yelled “Sorry, Dad!” He smiled and gave me a thumbs up as he braced himself on the planter that I pulled behind the tractor.
I spent hours driving the tractor as none of my other family members cared to give it a go – I was happy. I told my dad and my grandpa that I think I was born for this type of work. This made my grandpa chuckle as he wanted the opposite in life – to get out of farming. Which he did. I sat atop the Massey-Ferguson as she chugged along, and thought about something my great-aunt and uncle had told me the summer before when they visited the farm. My great-aunt said:
“Dad [my great-grandfather] used to sing at the top of his lungs while he drove the tractor.”
My great-uncle added: “He wanted to be sure he was singing over the sound of the tractor so that people could hear him. We could hear him all the way back at the house.”
Can you imagine?
I had to yell as loud as I could while I was on the tractor so that those around me could hear what I was saying. When I thought about how loud my grandfather must have been singing, it made me laugh! I wish I could have heard him sing.
The last few hours of planting went smoothly, so we know that in the future we need three people prepping tree roots for planting, three stompers, one person planting trees on the mechanical transplanter, and one person driving the tractor. By 8:30 that evening, the nine family members who came to help had planted all 2,000 Christmas trees. Most people were very tired, but happy. We had reached our goal of planting 2,000 trees, but most-important, we worked together as a family and had fun working. I was a little sad that it was over.
My great-grandfather wrote:
There was always a great challenge in the life we led, but then there was a reward of a sense of accomplishment in doing all of these things. Where we had to cut and haul and split and carry in our fuel for heat and cooking, all we do now is turn the thermostat and pay the bill. Many things were bad such as; making the children work too hard, picking potatoes when only 6-years old, planting potatoes and carrying our heavy seed bags, walking too far to school and a child almost never was given any money, but was clothed and fed. But taken as a whole, there was a great bond of cooperation and love in the family.
This is what I felt after working together to plant 2,000 Christmas trees – accomplishment, cooperation, and love within our family.
I also imagine that this gave us a glimpse into what the old community felt like when my great-grandfather was young – the fellowship of community he often wrote about.
My husband, the kids, and I were last ones to leave the Christmas tree field that evening. As I was taking a picture of the field we had planted, I noticed a faint rainbow arching over the east side of the field. Maybe, just maybe, it was Great-Grandpa singing loudly with appreciation.
I love this — I misted up several times as I read. Your photos are beautiful and your great-granddads words, wow.
I, also, think I may have been designed to be a farm woman, but my mom definitely wanted out of that life (I don’t blame her — the dustbowl in eastern Montana had to have been hell). I’m naturally good at growing things, I’m very physical, like hard work, am content with the imperatives of nature and animals gravitate toward me. There’s nothing more beautiful than a cultivated field at sunset and when, in my community, they bring in the potato crop I’m THRILLED that I get to live in a place like this. BUT I’m also glad for the very UN-farm life I’ve had and deeply grateful that it led me to this agricultural community at the end.
First of all, thank you for your kind words, Martha. I’m so happy you enjoyed this post. Yes, my great-grandfather had a way with words – they were always honest, heart-felt, and straight-to-the-point.
Also, I NEED to read more about this agricultural community you are immersed in, so I’m going to read through more of your posts today. 🙂
Last, those dustbowl days were definitely difficult. My great-grandpa and his young family actually came out of it alright because they lived on a lake at the time. Get this: the lake actually dried up during the dustbowl, so the family ended up planting on the lake bed. There was enough moisture in the bed that their crops flourished. My great-uncle said that people in the cities had it difficult though. He remembered shootings due to starving people trying to steal a loaf of bread.
Oh, and I could have written this about myself 🙂 : “I’m naturally good at growing things, I’m very physical, like hard work, am content with the imperatives of nature and animals gravitate toward me.”
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment, Martha. I always enjoy reading and pondering the words you write.
When I read a post like this I think about how it feels to take that first bite of an apple—so crisp and sweet. This post gave me that same feeling. And though a part of me wants to just read it again and again, and I know each read would be good, the pleasure of that first bite will elude me. So, I’ll just pause now and ponder about the simple magic of a day in the fields and a rainbow just winking at you after a job well done.
I wish you could have been there, Angela – the day was perfect. I think every adult in our crew commented on what a great day it was before he or she left. The kids who were there were “lost” in the woods – exploring trails, making forts, and discovering “treasures” in the old farm dump until dark. The rainbow was the perfect ending to our productive day. Thanks so much for your sweet comment! You’ll have to come and visit the farm with me one of these days.
Wonderful post. I think children need to get their hands (and feet) in the dirt to know where their food comes from. And it is so nice to know that what you eat is grown with love.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment! I also very much believe that getting children in the dirt is of utmost importance. Whether they’re harvesting vegetables, planting flowers, or just digging in the dirt – playing in the soil is healthy. Thanks for sharing you thoughts!
Wonderful post to read. Brought some of my childhood memories forward 🙂 Thank you for sharing such a wonderful day with us 🙂
I’m so very happy you enjoyed this post! Thank you so very much for stopping by to read, and for leaving such a kind comment. I’m glad that some positive memories were surfaced for you.
Days like these are the memories that make a family close. Thank you for sharing your family memory with all of us.
You are absolutely right, Diana. The day was special for all of us. I’m so happy you enjoyed this story, and thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment!
Oh, this is beautiful! What a special thing that you have your great grandfather’s memoirs! I’d LOVE to read something like that from one of my family members/ancestors.
Thank you, Katie! My great-grandfather’s memoirs have been invaluable. Especially since my parents took over the farm four years ago. They memoirs have been a guide for discovering not only things around the farm, but family members that we hadn’t met yet. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment, Katie! 🙂
What a fabulous tradition ! Great pics too. Lovely Erin
Wow this is amazing. Have goosebumps reading this x
Thanks so much, Rachael! So glad you enjoyed it. It’s easy to write up a good story when they actual day was so great. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
This sounds like it was the best day ever! I loved getting to together as a family to work in my grand parents large gardens. Those are some of my best memories.
It really was one of the best days, Cherie! I’m glad you have some of your own. There’s just something about working together with the ones you love that makes work easy and fun. Thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment, and for sharing your own memories!
What a lovely post Erin!
This sounds like hard work (I mean planting 2000 trees in a day!? Wowza!!) But it is awesome how your whole family came together! It’ll be even more impressive when those trees have grown and you can sit around them at Christmas!!
Thanks so much, Josy! The day was a lot of work, but I actually felt great at the end – I think it was all of the great company. And, I can’t wait to sit around one of our own Christmas trees! Everything will come around full-circle then. Only 3-4 years and we will be doing just that. Thanks for your comment, Josy!
You’re welcome! Are you planning to sell all 5000 in 3-4 years time? Or will you sell a few the first year, then have a range of sizes in future years? (while you plant new ones to replace them?)
I find the whole idea really cool!!
We will definitely not sell all of the trees. We have a total of about 3,500 trees planted right now, and will only sell to those who come to the farm to cut down their own trees. We won’t sell them to other stores, or Christmas tree retailers. Also, not all of the trees will be ready to go in 3-4 years. Some will take 5+ years, so will have trees maturing at different rates. When people come and cut down a Christmas tree, we will replant where the trees are harvested.
Josy, if you’re ever in MN, I’d love to show you around the tree farm. 🙂
I really hope I can visit!! <3
I hope you do!
How awesome to be able to plant Christmas trees with your parents. What a great bonding experience for the whole family. I see a story here, Erin! I think you could write an awesome one!
You’re always so motivating, Lisa! I just may have to write a story one day. I definitely have enough leverage with the history, my great-grandfather’s memoirs, my love for the farm, etc. Thanks so much for your kind comment, Lisa. You’ll be the first to know if and when I begin that story. 🙂