Harvest time brings memories of farm stories. I have mentioned how much I loved riding on the tractor with my dad. Another memory from waaaaay back is sugar beet harvest. I know it was waaaaay back because my dad stopped growing sugar beets and changed to wheat and alfalfa when I was just a little bug.
Back to sugar beets, growing them was a very work intensive project. Since I am very old, you see, there was not the wonderful farm machinery we have now to assist the farming process.
Anyway,when the sugar beets sprouted they needed to be thinned so the beets would grow big and strong. There was no other way to thin beets but by hand, bending over row after row, pulling up select plants. Generally, this was a part time (and temporary) job for teens in the spring time. They were usually paid by the row I think for this extremely backbreaking work.
At sugar beet harvest there was an unexplainable but wonderful aroma hanging in the air, following the beet trucks as they swayed down the street dropping a beet here and there to roll off the side of the road--do any of you remember it? Sugar beet harvest air is crisp and sharp and smells like sweet dirt, for lack of better words. I wanted to ride on the back of the harvester, which was little more than a trailer pulled by our dump truck with a chute spitting the beets into the back of the dump truck. Men and boys would follow the 'harvester' and stab the beets with their hooked harvesting knives and swing the beets into the air to sail up into the harvester. Sometimes a stray beet would crack into the back of my head, or fall short on top of my head. I wonder why I wanted to ride on the back of the harvester?
Probably I wanted to be close to the earth.
Close to my dad.
Close to the excitement of seeing the fruits of our labor.
Reliving these memories, I think I was also close to heaven.
Ruby age 14
2 months ago
4 comments:
I love these stories. Good writing.
I love your farm stories too! The sound of a tractor could lull me to sleep every night. Don't judge me, but I have never tried a beet. They just scare me!
I also love your stories, but I hated sugar beets. Our stake farm grew sugar beets and thinning them was hell for young boys.
Ah yes, wunna my favorite "rides" as a kid: the beet harvestor. Thinking of the knives we wielded--mere children!--somewhat akin to a machete with a sharp hook on the end for snagging beets from the ground, that the harvestor had missed. We escaped with all our arms & legs, fingers & toes, noses, and so I will throw out my "a fun time was had by all; fortunately no one was hurt" postlude to any great party.
Post a Comment