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Show eautr County Monitor SEPTEMBER 18, 1997 PAGE 2 The FaMih Tarn f.lTJ r- -, 8" 1 ? II .J lit I' if i f , It's a way of life that has made America strong! The essence of fresh earth when it is first turned over in the spring. The promise of fruitation from the tiniest seed. The communion between the human spirit and the supreme being as tender plants struggle toward the sun. The The rewarding scent of freshly cut hay. of a job satisfaction from exhaustion that comes completed just in the nick of time. Children learn early that they are needed and respected as they add their newly acquired skills to the quest for livelihood. Through success or hardship, families bond together in their common love of the land. It's what farmers have shared for generations that, once experienced, becomes a part of the soul. li 111! "i 1 "0 u Russell and Jim Mayer brought the first field cubers into the valley in 1967. Other farmers followed until the number grew to about 50. Stationary cubers have replaced them until only 1 1 remain. The fleet above belongs to Jim Mayer and his sons, Arlan and Allen. WWII, Following the Mayers settled in the Milford 1 v iff Wheel ,' .... Valley. rolls came into ihe valley in the mid 70's . " """"""""""' . rT....-- i , ' ... " i r. - V . r- - Leo, Lloyd and Gene came from California. Their cousins, George, Russell and Jim, were from North Dakota. Jim, the youngest cousin, missed WWII. Jim helped Russell until it was time for him to serve his country in Korea. Three weeks before leaving for the service, he married Barbara Walker. In 1951, upon his return, they bought 70 acres of their own. Over the years his holdings grew to almost 900 acres. Jim would have sold the land about fifteen years ago if not for the interest of two of their five children. Arlan and Allen have now taken over most of the accumulated acres. "The value of a lifetime is that " you can pass it to your sons, Barbara said. mm One look over the McGinn's back fence proves the addage: "Once a farmer, always a farmer. " From it's eggplant to cucumbers, onions to melons such feet of earth can produce amazing that 20 square bounty. EM i CSC0 ri When Jerry Mayer isn't farming, he fills in with a little trucking. The trailer above is loaded with hay cubes from the Paice barn. ' iMiiiiium Carr and Louise Wiseman brought their family to the Milford Valley in 1 954. Their sons, Lyle and Wayne, followed on in the family tradition until 1976, when Lyle bought out the farming concrete business. Lyle and his sons, Scott and operation and Wayne took over the ready-mi- x in hay and 200 acres in grain. They ship hay to Nevada and Jeff, now have about 1,000 acres California. Although most of their product is utilized by the dairy industry, Scott says demand for horse hay is growing. Wiseman's, along with Jerry Mayer, brought the first pivots into the valley in 1979. They choose pivots to cut down on labor and increase water efficiency. Wiseman's began selling pivots in 1981. Lyle says farming, with it's ups and downs, has been good to him ..and to his family. "Lots of things have been tough, but life is all roses. It is still the best way of raising a family," he said He worries that it is a lifestyle that may be lost. "Its tough for a young farmer to start out without family help. Everything costs so much money," he said. vr . i t, 1 ' .1 ' ST' - ft' A" , - Iv Russell Maver) Stationary cuber at the Keith James (former site v r Keith is farming 900 of his 1,100 acres this year and expects, with his own product and custom work, to ship 8,000 to 9,000 tons of cubes this year. He and his family have been in the valley for about nine years. How they acquired the farm is a story of trust and respect that is just short of amazing. In the 's Keith was helping his father farm 200 acres in Pleasant Grove. His father owned 40 acres; the remainder was leased. They raised sweet corn, potatoes and wheat. Keith's father was diagnosed with cancer and died within a few months. Without estate planning and insurance, he had no choice but to counsel his mother to sell. For the next two years Keith worked at a job in Springville hating every minute of it. On a long shot, he placed an ad in the Salt Lake Tribune: "Young farmer needs farm." Russell Mayer answered the ad. Without the funds to purchase the farm outright, Keith worked two years for Russell. With one bad experience behind him in selling the farms on credit, Russell was a little gun-sh- y of doing it again. In the third year Keith leased 560 acres. With time, the two men developed a mutual trust and respect which led to the complete purchase this year. Keith thinks it would benefit the nation if more farms could change ownership the same "When way. you look at the average age of farmers in this country, we are in trouble. Family farms are becoming more scarce all of the time, with both buyers and sellers fighting big odds. If the trend continues, corporate agriculture is all America will have. Then the people will wish they had done more to preserve the family farm," he said. - w mid-80- Think the Wiseman's have a good looking haystack9 It's no accident. Hay is picked up stacker takes over. from the field in a regular bale wagon. When it gets to the yard this on This Tribute to Milford Valley Farmers Sponsored by JB Star A Ranch |