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Western Oregon | I grew up in the 60's. Mom and dad ran a 60 cow dairy up to '63 when Dad went on S.S. Mom was used up, with 3 boys and milking everyday. Mom got a job at the school as the secretary and reading teacher when little brother started 1st grade, that year. Mom and Dad sold eggs in egg cartons and milk and cream in glass gallon jars, delivered on Sunday before church. It is how they paid my medical bills. I was a sickly kid, farm accident at 6, polio at 7. The doctor took milk and eggs. My polio probably had a lot to do with selling the cows. Mom and dad talked about all the time they had with us kids. It was pretty idyllic, 47 acres of woods and pastures and 50 acres rented to another farmer for peppermint. Us kids moved the irrigation and Dad mixed the fertilizer in a 55 gallon drum to fertilize. Dad had a Farmall H and a Case 400 diesel. A few chickens, 2-3 milk cows that they separated the cream and fed the milk to calves. They had crossbred dairy heifers for beef cows and some sheep. The farm never made any money until they sold it in 1980 but we all ate well. Dad turned 80 in '80, Mom was 19 years younger and worked at the school until 65 but they had a new home in town and farm payments, S.S and Moms retirement to live on. Both grew up on farms and they really enjoyed living in the country but never went anywhere more than 30 miles away. 1 yearly trip to the beach but never stayed, came home every night. Mom grew a garden in town, Dad would drive his old 1961 Chevy pickup to see friends a couple days a week and walk a few blocks around the neighborhood. Dad made 1 trip back to Maine in '73 and Mom accompanied her Parents bodies back to Kansas, her Dad in '68, Mom in '79 to bury them. He died at 95, his body just wore out. Mom at 83 of a massive stroke....James | |
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Egg prices
