Recently I took a trip to Iowa to visit my 102 year old great aunt. She is the last sibling of a family of 18 children who is left. Her story started in South Dakota not far from where I live today. Her life will end in Iowa as it has been her home for more than 70 years.
Trips to Iowa as a youth were also our family vacations. When my mom and I went on this trip, naturally we visited places of the past.
One place is where my great aunt and uncle farmed for so many years. The building sites are gone. Now a memory and the ground is worked for crops of corn or soybeans.
The new landscape didn’t stop us from talking about the homestead that once stood on the ground. My great aunt raised chickens and had a successful egg business while her husband farmed the land and raised pigs. It was a treat when we were asked as children to feed the chickens and assist in collecting eggs. I recall the mornings with the aroma of eggs and bacon cooking for breakfast as it is the most important meal of the day in the farming world.
Today, there is no homestead with the house, the barn or the chicken coop. Today it is just open land. Farmland value today in Iowa is now $8,716.00 per acre. Average amount of area for a homestead was approximately an acre of land.
There are no trees and vegetation to stop the wind erosion in Iowa let alone runoff from pouring rain like what just happened this week. The following photos are where my great aunt and uncle had their farm site. All that is there is land.
It is sad for me. I come from the generation that a family of six could easily be supported with a quarter of land and a few livestock. That meant there were homesteads with shelter belts on almost every quarter of land protecting from wind and soil erosion. South Dakota is no different. Farmers and developers are taking down trees without replacing them to either farm or build. My question I ask is this. Are we returning to the dust bowl of the 1930’s?
What are your thoughts on this and the disappearing farm homesteads? Can we really afford to continue to knock down trees that serve so many purposes to our enviroment? Please comment. I would love to hear from you.
32 thoughts on “Losing Ground”
Cutting down trees is definitely making a huge impact on our soils as well as the environment and natural habit surrounding the area. So Sad.
Yes and as the land value increases in South Dakota, many are taking down trees without considering the consequence.
It is a terrible thing we do to the environment. We take everything for granted thinking nothing will happen and eventually things start to take the wrong turn.
As I was researching this subject, most of the information as far as accepting this is an issue that needs to be addressed, it was date 2011 and I was surprised not to see anything more up to date. It is like the problem is recognized with no follow through. Here in South Dakota many are taking down trees to farm the ground. I hope some will see my blog and look at the photos.
I agree with you. Today’s generation will never get to experience those happy times of country living like we did. I am glad you are sharing memories because once the older generation is gone there is way you for you to know how things use to be.
I also think about the poor wild life animals loosing their space for their homes and food source.
Yes, I really wonder what the future will hold.
I haven’t knowledge of Iowa, but I know erosion is generally a problem all over the world. Over here, too. It is sad. Specially for sake of becoming generations.
I agree and thank you for commenting.
I am amazed that land is left bare without any protection from wind and storm. Apart from the environmental effects nutrients are leached from the soil making the land less productive and less valuable.
My father came from Ireland and I had always wanted to visit the family farm where he lived for his first few years. I made the trip 4 years ago. I was so disappointed to see a new housing estate in its place.
I was amazed at the difference in the sky line of Iowa from 2 years ago when I last visited. Yes, I get sick to my stomach knowing this is happening all over the world and while many acknowledge it, nothing is done about it. Thank you for commenting.
Marilyn, The human race treats this earth like there is going to be another one to run to when they have totally destroyed this planet. It makes me totally sick.
I am a country girl at heart, and I want all this destruction to stop and all hunting of wild animals to cease. We no longer need to kill them to eat. It disturbs me to the core of my being.
Yes, it seems as though we think there will be another earth to run. How far will it go and will it be soon enough to save? Thank you for commenting.
while the post is wistful it reflects what used to be, including trees, a way of life that many today never know already.
Such a true statement. Everyone seems to have their heads in some type of device. Thank you for commenting.
Hi Marilyn ,
this is something which bothers me very much .
I have an organic farm and all around me conventional
Farmers ,put in GMO crop and spray with round-up ,to make space for the bigger equipment they remove the shelterbelts everywhere. Since than we have a lot of trouble with animals who lost the place were they found their food ,now coming and kill our chicken quail rabbits and also insects are more ,because they escape the poison. But nobody cares and I talk for years about to the people. The farmers say we have to make money.
Lets see if they continue like this ,money can’t be eaten . It is sad to see this ,
Thank you for this post
Yes, in South Dakota the pheasant population (our state bird) has declined because of the declining shelter. I do wonder about all those chemicals myself. I live in a rural area and know of someone that got a tractor scoop full of dirt to mix in with her flower bed and it killed all of her flowers. The chemical was too strong for the flowers to survive. What does that say about us? Yes, there are deer that leisurely prance about town in this rural area. The game fish and parks had to do a controlled hunt to kill coyotes as they average 5-6 pups twice a year and they began to look for food killing baby calves during calving season. The equipment and amount of land for a family to make a living has both increased. I am amazed at the equipment that travels from field to field on our highways. Another issue of safety. Thank you for commenting.
I thought there might be Federal or state programs to help areas like this? Here in Central Texas there are numerous state, and municipal programs to protect and save the Edwards Aquafer for instance (our primary source of water). The city gives away plants for your yard that don’t require a lot of watering. It was sad to read this post.
There was a federal program where they paid farmers to plant trees and shelter belts. The campaign ended a couple of years ago and instantaneously the trees came down. I really don’t understand it myself. On highway 212 in South Dakota between Clark and Watertown are very few trees. During the winter and a snowstorm, it is practically a white out for 40 miles. Why aren’t people thinking? I am glad the state of Texas has a law to protect the water and conserve. I lived in Dallas Texas for 10 years and the thing I miss the most is the spring time when the ditches are lined with bluebonnets. With wind erosion causing top soil to drift it makes it difficult for something like a bluebonnet to survive. Thank you for commenting.
I enjoyed your post, Marilyn, but was saddened as well regarding the barren land where your folks farmed. I come from farm people too, although I was raised as a city girl. I used to get such a thrill by collecting the hens’ eggs too! Hopefully, your great aunts memories are all fond ones. 102. Oh my. Thanks for sharing!
My mom and I had not been to Iowa in 2 years and both of us were amazed at the changes in the landscape. My grandma and grandpa’s house and all the building sites are gone as well.
It was always fun to go and see great aunt Hilda and Andy. She really knows how to make you special.
Marilyn,
Humans, in their quest to build and develop, probably destroy more than they build. Most have been difficult for your aunt to watch the life she knew eroding and fading away. She must be some hearty lady, living to 102. My aunt is 92 and starting to really struggle with balance, dementia and more.
Warmly,
Dr. Erica
Yes, the day before her 102nd birthday, we believe she had a small stroke. When we got there she was having a difficult time hearing us and said her hearing aide was broken. My mom looked at it and it needed cleaning. That helped lots for our visit. Since then doctor ordered to have her ears cleaned. She had them done and was so excited that she could hear again. Prior to this when we called, no one would answer the phone. She told us to call her because she can’t see to dial. But she can hear better. You know, this really made my week. Something as simple as this changed the quality of her life for the better. There was one thing we thought was neat and that was she said she had a dream that she went to heaven. Then she said, “You know, I didn’t like it there. It was too crowded.” Ha! I am so happy I got to see her and hope to go back again this summer for another visit. She will drift into the past but for the most part she still knows what is going on. For that I am so happy for her. She is an amazing woman that has seen many things in this life. Thank you for commenting.
I am sad to see the farmland go. I had my own homestead of 27 acres in the late 70s and early 80s. I truly miss it. We had our own trees for firewood, but we knew how to cull and still have many trees left. We only took what was needed to cook on my wood stove and keep us warm during cold New Hampshire winters.
Yes, it is sad. Soon there will be a generation that never gets to go to grandma and grandpa’s farm to visit. That makes me sad. Thank you for commenting.
Hi Marilyn,
I was born in Ohio farm country but we moved to Florida when I was about 9, so I don’t really know much about farming and the land. It does make me sad that money and greed has taken a sense of family and history away from so many. Our children and their children will never know what the true meaning of growing up as a whole and loving family was like.
Thanks for sharing. Monna
I agree with you. It seems as though everyone has their heads down into a device. I have been guilty of it myself. I am so happy gardening is right around the corner so I can have my head into planting a vegetable garden and various flower gardens. I look forward to this all year.
I was fortunate as a child that Mom was always there when we got home from school. The farm kept all of us busy. I hope we as a society don’t lose that sense of connecting. Everything seems to be getting bigger and bigger and I am just not sure if it is always better. Thank you for commenting.
Hi Marilyn,
How wonderful to be visiting you! I know upsetting this all can be, it’s heartbreaking. When I first started dating my now husband, we used to take these long walks down a winding road, past a peach orchid. All of this gone. Now replaced with huge houses. Sad.. but what is such progress to look like in the future? Kinda scary for my son, he’ll never know what I’ve experienced … anyway.. how wonderful to see all these comments on your blog!
Thank you as well for visiting me. I am a techy challenged blogger in my 50’s. It isn’t stopping me though. I learn something new each day. The gift in all of this is meeting people like you and happy that you feel comfortable enough with me to make a comment. As far as ‘Losing Ground’, I am just not sure where we are headed in all of this. I realize the human race has a desire to improve themselves. My question is at what cost? I hope some laws will come into place before we as man destroy all of the trees that the earth needs for an ecosystem. Thank you for commenting.
Thank you for sharing my story! I made a comment on yours.