100 years in 100 words

Marriage, children, family vacations, career — the milestones of Farm and Dairy readers have often coincided with the paper’s own 100-year history. In short, Farm and Dairy has been more than a newspaper to many of you.

So, in our centennial year, we asked you to tell us what Farm and Dairy means to you, or how you have used our information.

We challenged you to write, in 100 words — no more, no less — your connection to Farm and Dairy. Fiction, non-fiction, prose or poetry — the choice was yours.

Here, then, are those memories. And here’s to another 100 years folks!

Janie Jenkins fan

For me, Farm and Dairy will always equal Janie Jenkins.

Her column was the first thing I looked for. I painted portraits of the horses she had lost — their obits and photos always appeared in Janie’s column. Pinkie, Taggie, spotted Apache. Many spotted Dalmatians, Sister and Orion.

Invited, I visited her amazing house/breezeway/stable, and I wish I could live like Janie did — look up from breakfast and straight into your beloved horse’s stall — heaven!

The breezeway had a bureau — doily on top-for grooming tools, and the wall facing the stalls was hung with framed art and photos, anticipating Facebook.

Susan Dexter
New Castle, Pennsylvania

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Heavilin Tractor Show is born

My father, Harry Heavilin, was a collector of John Deere two-cylinder tractors, several of which came from ads in the Farm and Dairy. This collection was the beginning of Heavilin’s Antique Tractor Show.

We invited friends and neighbors to bring their tractors and antique implements to our farm. An article in the Farm and Dairy connected us to the Delaware County Tractor Square Dancers. We invited them to “dance” at the tractor show.

Hundreds of visitors enjoyed the antique tractors and implements, the food stand hosted by local 4-H Club and watching the tractors dance.

Baby animal shower

It was an article in the Farm and Dairy that gave my parents the idea to host Heavilin’s Baby Animal Shower.

For almost 10 years on a June Sunday afternoon as many as 500-600 family, neighbors, friends and strangers spent the afternoon on our farm. On display were baby farm animals and the number of displays grew each year.

Highlights of the afternoon were petting the baby animals, animal crackers, orange drink and of course the tree swing where there was always a line of children.

My parents never charged admission and donations were accepted for the local Humane Society.

Joyce Heavilin Brown
Cadiz, Ohio

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Fair animals a favorite

Each week we watch for the Farm and Dairy so we can see what machinery, (especially John Deere) and cattle are available. We like these two because we have a Gator and Uncle Jim raises cows.

We liked all the fair pictures but the ones of the animals were our favorite. My brother and I love all animals and would like to have one of each to raise for 4-H.

We are “city” farmers, but we love to go out to grandma’s farm every chance we get. Not alone though, Cole is only 3 and I’m Cael (the big brother) 4 and a half.

Loretta Pickens
Hopedale, Ohio

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An ode to Farm and Dairy

History, museums, struggles of farmers and just about everything in between.

Even how to take care and enjoy wildlife to landing the very biggest bluegill I’ve ever seen.

Revealed are stories of life disappointments and snares.

These are the folks held dear in my prayers.

Remembering back to the county fair days with my little pony and I in the parades.

Love Farm and Dairy to help bring all this back to me.

This comes from the great-granddaughter of a washed-up olde mountie;

for one of my favorite writers there who just happens to live in Crawford County.

Pat Schmidt
Cleveland, Ohio

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Long farm history

I found Farm and Dairy when visiting relatives in Pennsylvania.

Now 90 years old, I grew up on a farm in North Carolina. We farmed with mules and had no running water.

I live in California with my husband and four over-the-hill chickens . But farm problems seem to stay the same — too little rain, too much rain, prices too low for things produced, too high for necessities.

My wedding presents are now pictured in the antique ads.

I thought I must have missed a chapter in the “birds and bee” lecture when I read, “For sale, easy calving bull.”

Alice Unger
El Cajon, California

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 A faithful friend

The Farm and Dairy newspaper’s importance in my home could not even be summed up in 200 words, but here’s the best in only 100 words.

My comfort in life is reading the word of the Lord each day. Thursday or a day later, we can have devotion time again, reading the religious page from our faithful Farm and Dairy.

It is interesting reading the various points of view from different devotional writers, and applying new points to my walk in life.

This is how I can best condense words…by expressing my thank you for sponsoring the religious page weekly.

Stuart F. Walent
Copley, Ohio

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Many lessons learned

I found Farm and Dairy at the Farm Science Review a long time ago.

I enjoyed learning about agriculture in a part of the state I was not familiar with. Lots of readers still farm like we did in th ’50s with general livestock farms. I took students to FFA Camp near Carrollton. I explored the region while dating my wife LuAnn, who lived near Buffalo.

I have consulted in Farm and Dairy “territory” on soils, no-till and cover crops since.

Now ask me why we didn’t buy that farm in Carroll County we looked at?

Ed Winkle
Martinsville, Ohio

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A refreshing change

We began reading Farm and Dairy in 1990, having moved from the Cleveland area to the Atwood Lake region.

We enjoy this paper and find if very refreshing after years with the Cleveland Plain Dealer: politics and crime.

We love the human interest, the Auction Guide, tool info, and “Rinker on Collectibles.”

My favorite is “Life Out Loud” by Kymberly Seabolt.  It brings back found memories of my childhood, being raised on a farm with 10 siblings, wonderful life, great parents — and lots of work to do. Wouldn’t trade if for anything.

This newspaper is the epitome of good reading.

Dorothy and Walter Carson
Macedonia, Ohio