No worries back then

[agchat]

I see the record low for this date in our area was in 1947 at -9c. I wonder how many were worried about there canola freezing back then!!

[fjlip]

Nobody heard of canola/****seed.

[farmaholic]

Less "money" at risk(seeding the crop), mostly hard work and sweat.

[hedgehog]

Was the record low temp of 1947 caused by the amount of smoke and debris in the atmosphere from WW2?

[Hopperbin]

Anyone to remember that year will need to be about 80 years old today. Anyone got first hand knowledge how the year went?

[Hopperbin]

80 plus years old.

[food4u]

That was the first year my parents were married and they got hailed out badly.Neither are with us anymore so cannot give you anymore info..

[charliep]

Perhaps a comment that farmers back then still had debt and need to pay for basic needs. Gardens/livestock covered more day to day food requirements but there were still lots of expenses covered over a smaller farm. I might add in basic infrastructure. If you had an accident/health issue, how long would it take to get to a hospital today? How long in the 1940's starting with just calling someone to let them know there is a problem? Don't think I would want to go back 80 years.

[freewheat]

**** was grown a bit in Western Canada for the war effort, so yeah, it is that old and older.

[charliep]

I might add in risk managment products. Not 100 % but I suspect crop insurance wasn't in place yet. A lost crop meant no income/all expenses. Will get told I am wrong but their are at least a couple of risk management products/government programs that help farmers survive difficult times today.

[tweety]

Pretty hard not to make expenses today Charlie, right you are.

[farmaholic]

Ok tweety, there's that sarcasm again. LOL

Note, (Charlie)my comment was seeding the crop expense, nothing to do with debt, that's why I pointed that out. Farmers were WAY more self sufficient in everyday needs back then.

[sumdumguy]

The input expense (variable cost) today changes the game for sure and a lot of farmers were mixed farmers. That was their crop insurance.

[charliep]

Perhaps my point was farming was no less difficult back then. Yes cash costs are higher magnified by the size of operations but there are a lot more tools available to manage risk today. Spend a lot of time with family in their 80s and 90s talking about their life on the farm. Remember my own childhood growing up on a farm in the 1950's and 60s. Way different than today but likely just as stressful.

[foragefarmer]

charliep

You can't compare stress level from 40s,50s,and 60s, to today's level. Not even in the same category. And, yes I have spoken to many who farmer in those decades.