SEGMENT: LAND, FOOD & MEALS, & NEIGHBORS
Bev Kuhn>NIU Collection>NIU Collection, Segment 8
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- FARMHOUSE
- House heated with firewood and gas furnace.
- LAND
- Gives size of farm, about 500 acres. Not all of the land is connected, some is elsewhere. Jack & his brother farm it. They grow corn and soy beans. Yielded 175 bushels to the acre for corn, not as good as last year (exceptional year). Bev and interviewer discuss production.
- FARM WORK
- Bev handles things in the house mostly, but works along with the men in the fall.
- FARMING METHODS
- Tells how the bean are stored. Corn has to be dried, but in corn crib.
- FARM EQUIPMENT
- Bev tells about storage of ear corn & the corn sheller machine that they hire every year, and the combine.
- FARM WORK
- Jack and Gary keep the books, all manually. Bev cooks, keeps the house clean, gardens. Gardening is not necessary but she enjoys it. Talks about pride in her garden.
- FOOD & MEALS
- Freeze green beans, can the tomatoes. Dick Kuhn's wife taught Bev to can things, how to cook. Recalls mother-in-law Angeline canning and freezing things. She always had a good stock. Tells about storing the canned goods. Mentions prices in 1970s. Effects of economic hard times on Bev's life, not drastic, 'just think about what you have and what you are buying'.
- NEIGHBORS
- Bev talks about fellow farmer friends. "Couple" friends. Bev reflects that she doesn't have separate girlfriends. Jack & her do things together, but the women don't get together outside of that. Sometimes might have gone shopping, but that's it. Bev enjoys being alone, likes the quiet.