Farm Life and Equipment
Welcome to the Farm Life and Equipment section of our website. Dust and Roots is a farm, but not in the sense that we are growing crops for market. We are subsistence farmers, people who grow food to feed themselves. We simply don’t have enough land to do more growing. We still take pleasure and pride in the growing we do and need equipment to make it happen. We also harvest trees, saw lumber and will be making furniture, toys and household products in our woodshop. I think this section will be a mix of sharing a day in the life on our farm and information on our tractors, implements, and machinery. We will likely review some of this equipment (which friends have asked us to do) and perhaps share some of the history of agriculture in America. The history of farming in America, the development of equipment and farming innovation starting from the middle of the nineteenth century on is fascinating. The first entry in this section titled America the Manufacturing Great, is just that kind of historical look back.
Farm Life: Chores
Chores are a part of the fabric of our life; a part of all farmer’s lives. If you are reading this because you are curious; or contemplating or just getting started homesteading, this may help you understand some of what’s involved. We will likely write essays like...
America the Manufacturing Great: the mid-century story
I wrote this piece for the Greenfield Spirit, our town wide newsletter in the summer of 2021. I’m including it here because although it is not entirely about our homestead, I think it’s of general interest to you, our readers.When I was in my middle twenties, my...