Farm Progress

Paper notes from the past make you think about the future

Farmers have a lot of wisdom to share, and have for decades. How their thoughts, and yours, are remembered is up to you.

Jen Koukol, Digital Editor

October 11, 2024

16 Slides
Jerry Johnson
Jen Koukol

When was the last time you wrote something down. Like, took a pen to paper and wrote down a provoking thought? A list? A reminder? Most of us drop a note in our phones, make an audio reminder.

But not in the 1960s. Weathered, faded and stained by time or dirt from my Grandpa Jerry’s fingerprints each time he pulled it from his front left pocket, a stack of 1960s seed company pocket notebooks were left behind. Grandpa farmed in south-central Minnesota his entire life. He raised his farm family on land just a few miles from the farm he was raised on. He and my grandma, who worked as a nurse off the farm, raised six children and 400 acres of crops.

Grandpa passed away five years ago but the pages of these handwritten notes detail farm life, from expense budgets and planting notes to calculations and tidbits of wisdom. In a day of audio messages and digital notes, what trace will be left behind for our children of the decisions we made, the wisdom we received and life’s calculated moments? It’s something to think about.

Sharing these tidbits and wisdom is heartwarming and makes me so proud of my grandpa. He was one of my FAVORITE humans, and goodness, do I miss him and my grandma every day. They were most special people who taught us to love and care, but also to work hard and do a good job.

As we celebrate National Farmers Day, take a look through grandpa's eyes to life on the farm, enjoy some of his wisdom and think about the nuggets you're leaving behind for others to learn from.

Also check out our older gallery of our favorite farmers: National Farmers Day: Our favorite farmers.  And learn more about Grandpa Jerry: How to farm, circa 1948

About the Author

Jen Koukol

Digital Editor

Jen grew up in south-central Minnesota and graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a degree in mass communications. She served as a communications specialist for the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association and Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, and was a book editor before joining the Corn & Soybean Digest staff.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like