On the Farm

My memories of 'farm life' come a variety of sources, starting in the first grade when our class from St. Paul Lutheran School went on a field trip to Green Meadow Farm.  I remember some sights and sounds and smells from that visit and getting to be up close to some 'gigantic' creatures.

Jump ahead several decades to my life as a representative with Aid Association for Lutherans and I would stop by farms on a regular basis to take care of clients and their families.

In one visit, the husband and wife and I were sitting around the kitchen table talking about their operation.  They had some animals and were cutting hay and raising corn and a few fields of soybeans.

Lastly, they mentioned they had some springers in the barn.  'Oh,' I thought, quickly scanning my brain to a possible definition of what that meant and came up with, 'so, how is it raising dogs?'

Yikes!  Not springer spaniels!  These were 'springers' - cows that are very close to giving birth to their first calf.

After a laugh at my expense, not an entirely bad way to go as it turned out, the ice was broken and we talked a little more about their operation and the family they were also raising on the farm.

Just another phase in my agricultural education.