I'm asking for help to paint a picture in words the difference between farming now and farming as it used to be years ago. I have occasion to read to some old farmers who have very limited eyesight and they have fascinating stories of how farming used to be in their youth. Memories that, due to their age, could soon be lost for ever. They are as equally interested in modern farming as I am in their stories. I am hopping that among all the TFF members, there is a wealth of knowledge and stories that I could entertain them with. Their interest is far ranging .. from every aspect of animal husbandry, no matter how gory!, to daily living, machinery, descriptions of the countryside, etc and some of their courtship stories would really surprise a modern youngster! Here's hopping there's some good writers reading this. Thanks in expectation.
help please to paint a picture in words
- Thread starter glow worm
- Start date
Old Boar
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Farming in a community was a tight knit group here - all helping each other, sharing equipment and knowledge. There did not seem to be any competition generally although there were local ploughing matches and the landlords gave prizes for the best mangolds etc.
Most of the farms were tenanted, with the tenants having the use of the land for "three lives", or being paid to move on if the land was sold. The big landowners seemed to treat most of the tenants quite well from old press reports.
The old wills on line make interesting reading, as there seemed to be very little in the way of possessions to leave, and farm sales in the late 18th/early 19th century lists around 10 cows, 3 horses, pigs and chickens and "mows of corn" or "ricks". The cows are named, and the horses named with the sire.
When a big landowner sold up round here, selling over 20 properties in one auction, the sale was cancelled due to "unrest amongst the tenants" as they on the whole could not afford to buy the land they farmed. The landowner was even selling the chapel and had to withdraw that lot as the auction crowds would not allow it.
I am going back a fair bit, it is not my memories
but I have done a fair bit of reading of old newspapers and wills and find the standard of living was very hand to mouth.
Most of the farms were tenanted, with the tenants having the use of the land for "three lives", or being paid to move on if the land was sold. The big landowners seemed to treat most of the tenants quite well from old press reports.
The old wills on line make interesting reading, as there seemed to be very little in the way of possessions to leave, and farm sales in the late 18th/early 19th century lists around 10 cows, 3 horses, pigs and chickens and "mows of corn" or "ricks". The cows are named, and the horses named with the sire.
When a big landowner sold up round here, selling over 20 properties in one auction, the sale was cancelled due to "unrest amongst the tenants" as they on the whole could not afford to buy the land they farmed. The landowner was even selling the chapel and had to withdraw that lot as the auction crowds would not allow it.
I am going back a fair bit, it is not my memories
but I have done a fair bit of reading of old newspapers and wills and find the standard of living was very hand to mouth.
- Location
- N.Lincs
Sorry, I'm no essay writer, so no help to you. If it's a modern slant you want ,you could do worse than read them some passages from 'The Shepherd's Life' by James Rebanks or David Kennard's 'A Shepherd's Watch'.
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
They might find 'Corduroy' by Adrian Bell is an echo of their experience. I'll have a go at writing something for them over the next few days, stock related in my case because we are beef and lamb. Good on you for the time you take in this.
p.s. do you want it pm'ed or posted in this thread....
p.s. do you want it pm'ed or posted in this thread...
.Many thanks for your interest. I think posted on this thread would be nice if that's ok. It may stir other memories of someone just reading.They might find 'Corduroy' by Adrian Bell is an echo of their experience. I'll have a go at writing something for them over the next few days, stock related in my case because we are beef and lamb. Good on you for the time you take in this.
p.s. do you want it pm'ed or posted in this thread...
- Location
- Ceredigion
The sounds have changed and the beauty has gone
- Location
- Ceredigion
llamedos
New Member
Ask if they mind if you record their stories.
- Location
- Ceredigion
We had a series 1 landrover to cart those churns up the bumpy lane to the stand at the end . Dad used to put glass of water on the bonnet .which one of us could get to the end without spilling any
Zetor
Member
- Location
- Northumberland
Depends where you live, not that much change up here
- Location
- West Somerset
Totally agree. Same here.
- Location
- Ceredigion
When we finally finished on a cold winter's day we would all huddle around the fireplace under a big blanket 6 kids and mum and dad . Dad would talk about the days when the country was at war his days when he ploughed with horses and working on the thrashing machine as it went from farm to farm . What do kids do now . Shoot upstairs to play on Xbox
Agree about the sounds .. but the beauty? I never fail to enjoy the nippy early morning, dawn just breaking, raspberry ripple sky, dew shinning like diamonds in cobwebs suspended in brambles, far off pheasant shouting the odds and yes, one morning that memory was spoilt seeing the far off church on the horizon shrouded in the smoke from foot and mouth fires but that's all part of a farmers memories, good and bad. The good that year was seeing the survivors turned out for the first time that year in late July and that's an emotion I can't describe
fantastic pictures. With all the current health and safety, its amazing that any of us survived drinking the milk that spent hours on the standings at the end of the lane!
- Location
- N.Lincs
If you can write stuff like that, you don't need too much help
It's a good thing you are doing, I wish you all the best with it
Will do. I spoke to one, but unfortunately he has now passed on, who was a very shy, retiring man, so you can imagine our surprise one day when he started talking about his courtship days and his search for a wife. With a twinkle in his eye and a very cheeky grin, he told us how he searched for a good scrubber and went through 7 before he found the right one!! Scrubber in his generation was someone who could work hard! His first night alone with her was when he squatted in a derelict cottage ( family dispute) with no electricity, surrounded by rat traps in the same room and all night they could hear the traps going off!!!
Oh believe me, I need all the help I can get and appreciate all the 'pictures' i receive.If you can write stuff like that, you don't need too much help
It's a good thing you are doing, I wish you all the best with it
Lovely picture. I can just remember our carthorse Tom, with the hay being thrown up onto the cart and taken up to the yard to be made into a rick. There was always the danger of heating up and due to the cost, there was just one large 'screw' in the area that was passed from farm to farm in times of need to make holes in the rick if it started to heat. I agree with you about modern kids. Part of me feels sorry for what they are missing. The other part is scared of them for the animal cruelty that they inflict that we read about in this group.
llamedos
New Member
There are some wonderful films on the BFI website if you can find out the areas the folk are from you may be able to find a film from that area, watch it, and it will give you some ideas to help you along.
http://player.bfi.org.uk/britain-on-film/ you can search by topic or area.
http://player.bfi.org.uk/britain-on-film/ you can search by topic or area.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Beauty comes in different forms
Beauty to me was watching my young brother tieing bags of on the bagger combine . Seeing all my niebour helping next door cart their hay . Spending a week in a field with my worker mates planting cow cabbage by hand ,seeing how dads getting on with the hedge laying as I drive past on the school bus . Farming and it's tradional skills was a way of life for so many. Trades that have given way to a technical factory floor that's losing its heart and sole
Dad's wedding present to mum was a 3 legged stool to help with the milking .
On Friday I sat with amazement as I watched a robot milking a large heard of cows. Farming without any human involvement is not that far away