About 50 years ago, many a dairy farmer was caught up in the hype and desire of having a one-and-only blue Harvestore next to the barn.
A Harvestore was a dark blue, enameled-steel marvel that promised perfect silage to boost production and make dairymen profitable.
They came at a fairly steep price, but for the most part, they lived up to the hype.
And many, like my father-in-law Rod, decided to get one.
Forty years ago, the Ag Crisis came and delivered a double punch: the first to A. O. Smith, the second to dairy farmers like my father-in-law.
A. O. Smith lived to fight another day. They had diversified in many different directions and eventually spun off the Harvestore brand to others, where it exists, I’m told, to this day.
Dairy farmers, for the most part, did not.
A man who could feed a family on the work surrounding 50 cows would no longer be able to stay in business. They say the absolute minimum these days is 150 cows. And dairies with unbelievable herds of more than 100,000 are the future!!
That small Harvestore Rod owned cost $119 a month, and I remember the day he made the last payment.
That Harvestore stands as a monument to his stubborn pride and to a way of life that has mostly disappeared. Rod has passed, the barn next to it has rotted away, and I’m writing this mainly to help me remember both.
This I know: Being a dairy farmer was a hard line of work, but it was a great way to raise a family.
What is your memory of the farm or ranch?
