Trucks now and then — they’ve come a long way
Anyone tried to buy a new work truck lately? If you have, you’ve probably come to the realization that truck manufacturers don’t consider trucks...
Scratching the surface of the little Utilitor tractor
Many years ago, Nancy and I attended a tractor show at Malabar Farm, probably put on by the Richland County Steam Threshers. Established by...
Some things do get better with time: home heating
As a long, cold winter finally winds down, I was thinking about how comfortable most of us are in our homes with modem heating...
Old newspaper gives glimpse of farm life in 1800s
The state of agriculture in this country was still quite primitive in 1840, but many farmers were beginning to realize the farming practices of...
Tractor pioneer remembered for his legacy
On Jan. 2, 2011, at the ripe old age of 96, Harold Brock from Waterloo, Iowa, died peacefully at his home. So what, you...
Columnist recounts visit to Ohio in mid-1800s
Today we don't think of Ohio as being "The West," although it was 170 years ago. I have bound volumes of an Albany, N.Y....
Minnie, the red and gold reindeer, saved Christmas
(Author’s Note: The following story is the only work of fiction I’ve ever written and was originally published in the Farm and Dairy on...
Definition of a blue moon might surprise some
Blue moon/you saw me standing alone/without a dream in my heart/without a love of my own. -- Lyrics from a 1934 song by Richard...
Honoring a friend is worth trek to Dyersville, Iowa
Many years ago, not long after I got into the “Rusty Iron” hobby, I began to attend the annual show put on by the...
Remarkably, electric clocks predated home wiring
If you told most Americans living today that at one time people had to actually wind their clocks and watches by hand, they'd probably...
