Horses await the start of the contest.

Family traditions come wrapped up in many packages. This one has its roots in a sporting event in 1941. It has come down through the years and has touched several lives in our community along the way.

The farm technology of 1941 looked much different from that of today. It included workhorses pulling wagons. The corn wagons came equipped with a bang board mounted on one side. Bang boards served to “catch” corn ears that were tossed by hand into the wagon.  Corn ricocheted from the board and fell into the wagon bed below. The person picking corn most often used a hook strapped to his hand.  The hook dragged across the husks loosening them up, exposing the ear.  With a snap on the stem end of the cob, the ear was free to be tossed into the wagon. Things have certainly changed from the old days.

In 1941, my husband’s dad joined in a county-wide contest…a corn husking contest.  The object of the competition was to pick as much weight in corn during a fixed time period as the picker could.  Besides that, the corn had to be kept as clean and free of husks as possible.  Penalties discouraged the excess weight due to attached corn husks. This fun sport ran deep in the veins of many young men from the farms.

With WWII, advances in technology affected even the farmer.  Tractors and other machines were developed to add speed to the planting, harvesting on other jobs on the farm. The one-row corn picker came on the scene.  Soon farmers did not need to husk corn by hand. Hand corn husking contests dwindled and disappeared.

Yet in the 1980s, my husband’s dad discovered that a revival in corn husking had emerged. He wanted to be a part of it. He went to observe one contest and joined in the fray. His corn husking days had been resurrected! What fun he had that day. Pleasant memories of the old days resurfaced and refreshed him. He shared his joy with family and friends in his renewed love of hand corn husking.

My father-in-law took time to teach us how to husk corn.  With his encouragement we competed, too.  My husband and I took our young family to some of the contests. Just last year, my own young grandchildren got a chance to learn and be a part of this family sport. This is one special way we pass on traditions here on Heritage Farm.

The corn husking wagon is featured as a card in our store. Other cards from the old technology, the plow and the spreader are available there for you to enjoy.

Photo Credit: Bretta Grabau

As you may already know, heritage is important to us on Heritage Farm.  One example of this comes wrapped up in a little log cabin built on the crest of a hill on the farm.

The cabin marked the bicentennial of the founding of our country.  Built in 1976, it has been a visual center of the farm.  It is easily seen by those who drive by.  Hence, maintaining it became a priority.

The cabin was originally built by my father-in-law and my husband. My husband’s grandpa helped put on the shingles.  The gathering of the men to complete this project became a special memory for us.

When the cedar shakes began to fail, re-shingling became a necessity if the cabin was to be preserved.  Moss covered the roof.  Plans began to take shape to replace the shingles.

Recently, the time came for my husband and our daughter to fix the cabin roof in order to preserve it.  Because our daughter enjoys shingling, this became a great chance for the fourth generation to get involved in working on the cabin.

Old shingles were removed, new tar paper put in place and the new shingles nailed on the renewed roof.  The job took two afternoons to complete.

The “farmscape” is looking much better with the new life added to this old cabin we enjoy.

You can see our “cabin” cards at our store.

photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau

Card Available in our Store

Shamrocks are a favorite plant on the farm. 

My maternal grandmother displayed a lone shamrock plant in her home when I was a youngster. 

My mother got an offspring of the plant to raise in her home. 

I now have the offshoot of that plant in mine.  I am raising plants to give to my children and others.  

I put the potted shamrock plants outdoors in the spring and summer where they do very well with God’s rain and sunshine and fresh air.  Bulbs reproduce in the soil and new plants come handily.  Hardy green leaves make a colorful backdrop for the cheery pink blooms.  Before the frost, I bring them indoors to await the winter’s passing.

I thought you might enjoy the spectacle on a note card.  It is now available through our store.  Check out the new introductory sale price!