Barn Boards and Baling Wire

Javascript is required to use this website.

Topical Top Story

John Sumwalt For Agri-View
Sep 15, 2024
Sep 15, 2024

Rachel Held Evans, 1981-2019, was a New York Times best-selling author. Her books talk about faith, doubt and life in the Bible Belt.
Contributed

Facebook
Twitter
Bluesky
WhatsApp
SMS
Email
Print
Save

John Sumwalt For Agri-View

One of my favorite stories to tell when I’m invited to do a storytelling program is about a gas station in the village of Loyd, Wisconsin. It was just down the road from the farm where I grew up in the 1960s in Richland County, Wisconsin. I’ll describe the setting in some detail, from the pop cooler to the potbellied stove – around which one could almost always find several farm neighbors telling stories and laughing as they drank their favorite flavor of Hill Billy Pop. That was a local brand bottled in Richland Center, Wisconsin; grape was my choice whenever I had a quarter to spare.

kAm%96J H@F=5 D2J ~CC:? uF==6C[ E96 @=5 AC@AC:6E@C[ D@=5 >@C6 A@A E92? 2?J3@5J 6=D6 :? E96 4@F?EJ] p?5 x 8F6DD >2J36 :E H2D ECF6] xE H2D?’E F?E:= J62CD =2E6C H96? x C62=:K65 E96 >6? 5:5?’E 4@>6 E96C6 7@C E96 A@A] %96J 4@F=5 92G6 5C2?< A@A 2?JH96C6] %96J 42>6 E@ ~CC:?’D 3642FD6 96 >256 E96> H6=4@>6] xE H2D 2 D276 A=246 – 2? “6G6CJ3@5J <?@HD J@FC ?2>6” <:?5 @7 A=246]k^Am

kAm~CC:? H2D 2 BF:6E 76==@H[ ?@E @FE8@:?8 @C 27723=6 :? 2?J C6>2C<23=6 H2J] x 5@?’E C6>6>36C 9:> 6G6C E6==:?8 2 7F??J DE@CJ @C 2 ;@<6] ~? @442D:@? 96 4@F=5 36 2 3:E @7 2 8C@F49] qFE 96 H2D[ :? 9:D @H? F?2DDF>:?8 H2J[ E96 42E2=JDE 7@C D@>6E9:?8 6DD6?E:2=[ D@>6E9:?8 =:76 DFDE2:?:?8[ 6G6? =:76D2G:?8] (6 7@F?5 D@>6E9:?8 E96C6 E92E 2== @7 FD J62C? 7@C[ 2 4@>>F?:EJ H96C6 H6 7F==J 36=@?8]k^Am

kAm(6 2== =@?8 7@C 2 4@>>F?:EJ H96C6 H6 42? D2J H92E’D @? @FC >:?5D 2?5 =2F89 E@86E96C 2E E96 H24<J G:4:DD:EF56D @7 =:76] (6 2== H2?E E@ 36=@?8] xE’D @?6 @7 E96 32D:4 9F>2? ?665D[ D@>6E9:?8 H6 >FDE 92G6]k^Am

kAm$@>6 @7 FD 2C6 7@CEF?2E6 E@ 7:?5 4@>>F?:EJ :? @FC 72>:=:6D] ~?6 :D 3=6DD65 :7 D96 @C 96 92D 2 =2C86[ 6IE6?565 72>:=J E92E =@G6D E@ 4@>6 E@86E96C] |J 525 925 D:I 3C@E96CD 2?5 @?6 D:DE6C] |@> 925 E9C66 3C@E96CD 2?5 EH@ D:DE6CD] %92E >256 7@C `_ F?4=6D[ ?:?6 2F?ED 2?5 bb 7:CDE 4@FD:?D[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? 2 9@DE @7 8C62E\2F?ED 2?5 8C62E\F?4=6D 2?5 D64@?5 4@FD:?D] x E@@< 7@C 8C2?E65 9@FD6D 2?5 J2C5D 7F== @7 A6@A=6 2E 72>:=J 6G6?ED] (96? x >2CC:65 x 5:D4@G6C65 E92E y@ 2=D@ 42>6 H:E9 2 >F=E:EF56 @7 C6=2E:G6D] pE E96 7:CDE 72>:=J 7F?6C2= x 2EE6?565 E96 49FC49 H2D A24<65 H:E9 >@C6 E92? `__ 4=@D6 72>:=J >6>36CD] p7E6C ch J62CD x 92G6 ;FDE 23@FE =62C?65 2== E96:C ?2>6D]k^Am

kAm(6 2=D@ 7:?5 4@>>F?:EJ :? E96 G2C:@FD 8C@FAD @7 7C:6?5D 2?5 24BF2:?E2?46D E@ H9:49 H6 36=@?8] $@>6 A6@A=6 7:?5 4@>>F?:EJ :? D6CG:46 4=F3D =:<6 #@E2CJ[ {:@?D 2?5 z:H2?:D[ @C :? 49@:CD[ 42C5 4=F3D[ 32?5D[ D6H:?8 4:C4=6D[ D@7E32== 2?5 3@H=:?8 E62>D[ 32CD 2?5 9F?E:?8 A2CE:6D] %96J 7:?5 4@>>F?:EJ 2>@?8 8@=7:?8 3F55:6D 2?5 D9@AA:?8 7C:6?5D] p?5 D@>6E:>6D A6@A=6 7:?5 4@>>F?:EJ :? 49FC49]k^Am

kAmx <?@H D@>6 H9@ 2C6 C625:?8 E96D6 H@C5D 92G6 36=@?865 E@ 49FC496D 2== E96:C =:G6D] %96J 92G6 =:76=@?8 7C:6?5D E96C6 H9@ E96J =@G6 =:<6 3C@E96CD 2?5 D:DE6CD] %96J 36=@?8 E@ 6249 @E96C] ~E96CD[ =:<6 >6[ H9@D6 ;@3 92D E2<6? E96> E@ >2?J 5:776C6?E A=246D E9C@F89 E96 J62CD[ <?@H :E 42? E2<6 2 =@?8 E:>6 E@ 7:?5 E96 C:89E 49FC49 E@ 766= 2E 9@>6 E96C6] *@F C62=:K6 E96 $A:C:E 92D E2<6? J@F H96C6 J@F ?665 E@ 36 H96? J@F 92G6 E92E H2C> 766=:?8 @7 36=@?8:?8] (6 <?@H 2 49FC49 :D H92E :E’D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 H96? :E D2E:D7:6D E96 566A =@?8:?8 H6 92G6 7@C 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am

People are also reading…

Dairy era ends in sadness
System continues to protect calf health, ranch profitability
Plant soybeans early, Below says
Lifelong cowboy continues team roping career at 87
Producers urged to implement strong identification processes to safeguard cow herd
Seasonal supply squeeze drives sheep, goat prices
Rooted in dairy, driven by data
Cattlemen answer the call with hay convoy to wildfire-stricken Nebraska
Get better hay, returns with small changes
EPA makes latest attempt to define WOTUS
Laws restrict foreign land owners
Unexpected discovery leads to potential pollination control mechanism
Pollinators exhibit interesting 'bee-havior'
Bales from 1940s a lesson in housing hay long-term
Understanding beef quality from the carcass up

kAmx H@F=5 E6== @FC ?6H >6>36CD E96J H@F=5 <?@H E96J 7F==J 36=@?865 E@ E96 49FC49 H96? E96 DE@C:6D E92E =@?8\E:>6 >6>36CD E@=5 E96> @7 52JD A2DE 3642>6 E96:C DE@C:6D] p?5 x H2C?65 E96> E96J H@F=5?’E 36 E@=5 E96 C62==J 8@@5 DEF77 C:89E 2H2J – 23@FE 2== E96 EC2865:6D 2?5 D42?52=D 2?5 92C5D9:AD E96 4@?8C682E:@? 92D 6?5FC65[ 2== E96 6>32CC2DD:?8 E9:?8D E96J =2F89 2?5 4CJ 23@FE] qFE @?46 =@?8\E:>6 >6>36CD <?@H E96>[ E92E H:== 92AA6? 2?5 E96J H:== 42CCJ E92E 25@AE65 :56?E:EJ 2?5 E6== E9@D6 DE@C:6D 2D E96:C @H? 7@C E96 C6DE @7 E96:C =:G6D[ H96C6G6C E96J 8@]k^Am

kAm(6 2=D@ <?@H 2 49FC49 :D ?@E H92E :E’D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 H96? :E’D ?@E 23=6 E@ DFDE2:? 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 :ED @H? >6>36CD H9@ ?665 :E >@DE] #2496= w6=5 tG2?D[ <?@H? 7@C 96C 3=F?E 9@?6DEJ 23@FE 96C 6G2?86=:42= FA3C:?8:?8[ :D E96 }6H *@C< %:>6D 36DED6==:?8 2FE9@C @7 “$62C49:?8 7@C $F?52Ji {@G:?8[ {62G:?8[ 2?5 u:?5:?8 E96 r9FC49]” x? a_`d[ 7@FC J62CD 367@C6 96C F?E:>6=J 562E9 2E E96 286 @7 bg[ D96 HC@E6 23@FE 96C 562C 7C:6?5[ p?5C6H[ H9@ H2D C6;64E65 3J 9:D AC62496C 72E96C 2?5 9:D 49FC49 H96? 96 E@=5 E96> 96 H2D 82Jik^Am

kAm“p7E6C DECF88=:?8 H:E9 3@FED @7 56AC6DD:@? 2?5 56DA2:C[ p?5C6H 42>6 E@ E6C>D H:E9 9:D D6IF2=:EJ] w6 =67E 9@>6 E@ 2EE6?5 4@==686 … 2?5 7@F?5 2 ?6H 49FC49 E92E 2446AE65 9:> 2D 96 H2D] … p?5C6H 7@C>2==J 42>6 @FE E@ 9:D 72>:=J @? E96 %92?<D8:G:?8 3C62< @7 9:D 7C6D9>2? J62C] xE 5:5?’E 8@ H6==] }@H p?5C6H =:G6D :? 9:D 5@C> C@@>[ 4FE @77 7C@> 9:D 72>:=J 2?5 H@C<:?8 E@ A2J @77 9:D 65F42E:@? @? 9:D @H?] %96 =2DE E:>6 96 DA@<6 H:E9 9:D 72E96C[ p?5C6H H2D E@=5 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 96==] qFE p?5C6H H2D?’E 2=@?6 5FC:?8 E92E 5:77:4F=E %92?<D8:G:?8 3C62<] p H9@=6 E62> @7 A6@A=6 7C@> 9:D ?6H 49FC49 925 4@>>:EE65 E@ AC2J 7@C 9:> 7@C E9@D6 7@FC 52JD]”k^Am

kAm$96 E6==D 9@H p?5C6H :?G:E65 96C E@ 9:D 32AE:D> 2E 9:D ?6H 49FC49[ D@>6E9:?8 96 925 =@?865 7@C 2== @7 9:D =:76] qFE E92E 925 366? 56?:65 3J 9:D 72E96C 3642FD6[ 2D p?5C6H D2:5[ “w6 H2?E65 >6 E@ H2:E F?E:= x H2D 8@@5 6?@F89[ 9@=J 6?@F89]”k^Am

kAm#2496= HC@E6[ “%92E’D H96? x F?56CDE@@5 H9J p?5C6H 925 :?G:E65 >6 E@ 9:D 32AE:D>] x H2D A2CE @7 E96 @?=J 72>:=J 96 925] p?5C6H’D 25@AE:@? :?E@ v@5’D 72>:=J 925 366? 72C >@C6 EF>F=EF@FD 2?5 A2:?7F= E92? >J @H?[ 3FE 96 H2?E65 >6 E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 :E D:>A=J 3642FD6 x H2D 2>@?8 E9@D6 H9@ H@F=5 ?@E EFC? 9:> 2H2J[ D:>A=J 3642FD6 x =@G65 9:> 2D 96 H2D] $@>6E:>6D E96 49FC49 >FDE 36 2 C67F86 6G6? E@ :ED @H? C67F866D]”k^Am

kAm#2496= @?46 D2:5 D@>6E9:?8 E92E DE:== EC@F3=6D >2?J :? 96C tG2?86=:42= 72>:=J @7 @C:8:?]k^Am

kAm“x E9@F89E v@5 H2?E65 E@ FD6 >6 E@ D9@H 82J A6@A=6 9@H E@ 36 DEC2:89E[” D96 D2:5] “x?DE625[ v@5 FD65 82J A6@A=6 E@ D9@H >6 9@H E@ 36 r9C:DE:2?]”k^Am

kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm%9:D :D 2? @C:8:?2= 2CE:4=6 HC:EE6? 7@C p8C:\':6H[ 2 {66 t?E6CAC:D6D 28C:4F=EFC2= AF3=:42E:@? 32D65 :? |25:D@?[ (:D4@?D:?] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^p8C:':6H]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qmp8C:':6H]4@>k^2m 7@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^DA2?mk^Am

John Sumwalt new mug 2024 — John Sumwalt

John Sumwalt is a retired pastor and the author of “Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives” and “How to Preach the Miracles.” A noted storyteller, he offers storytelling programs for churches and community groups. Email johnsumwalt@gmail.com or call 414-339-0676 to reach him.