Higginsville, MO | senodak - 12/29/2024 19:23
Its all relative to the time in which the person was farming. In the early 1900's when the "first generation" got off the ship and started out everyone got 160 acres free and clear from the US government. So a pretty good deal in those days. And 160 acres was enough for a family to live on, and the family had to work really hard to do just that 160 acres along with the livestock.
"Second generation" would be the people like my grandpa. Started farming on their own in approximately the 40's/50's post war. Again, starting out in those days 160 acres was plenty and 160 acres was still hard work. They came from large families so most inherited little to nothing and they were one generation removed from the homestead act so no free quarter from uncle sam. But a lot of the original homesteaders were tired of it by then especially after the depression dust bowl and moved out west and were happy just to get rid of their 160 acres for little to nothing, so the ones that stayed were able to afford to start out. Many stories of old timers in those days paying off land with just a few crops off of the land.
"Third generation" would be those that had the boom times of the 70's and bust times of the 80's. This is when mechanized farming really came around and 160 acres wasn't as hard. Operations could expand into the 1000's of acres.
Mostly people farming today would be "fourth generation".
So I'm thinking the old saying that the 3rd generation loses it is simply not true.
I'd like to know whats considered a first generation? In old plat books pre 1900, 40 acres were what was given or bought in the 1850s and what most farms were. A few large 160 tracs or so. A majority of people live on their tract to grow food for them and if some was left over they could sell it. Wasn't until 1900 and mechanization that people left to town for jobs and farms for larger production started increasing. Thats just my take from look at the plat maps. Grandpa was born in was born in 1900, dad in 1945 and i was 1991. In my instance we skipped a generation, should be 4th but am 3rd. I'll say the age gap has been a completely challenging! |
First Generation.
