A Day in the Life

A day in the life on a 1930s Family Farm was long and demanding. Typically a Family farm would consist of all members of the family or anyone living in the household including children. Tasks or chores on the farm were typically separated by gender. Men would do the majority of the outside work while women would do mostly inside work. Women would help with outside work when it came to milking cows and tending to gardens. Children would help anywhere they physically could. Those on a family run farm would normally wake up between 4am-6am in order to complete all of their chores for the day. Chores varied depending on what crops, orchards or livestock that was kept on the farm. Working on the farm creates a strong alliance between family members. Everyone is working for a common goal to keep the farm going to keep a steadier income and food on the table. Food on the table usually came from the land and animals they raised. They could butcher a pig or cow and gather fruits and vegetables from the gardens and crops.

During the 1930's the western world was overcome by The Great Depression. This was a time of economic downfall that heavily hit the farming industry. Farming was not only a way of life but it was a livelihood. As the economic crisis carried through it became harder and harder for farmers to retain their land. Many people and companies could no longer afford to buy crops or livestock which created little to no income for farmers. Happening during this same time was the Dust bowl. This was a series of severe dust storms that damaged agricultural lands. With the drought and lack of resources to protect the land this destroyed many family farms sending them on a mission to the east coast in order to create new life and a chance at another family farm.

Abandoned farm in the dust bowl area.

A family of cotton pickers waiting for their day to begin.

A couple family mebers living on a part-time farming unit at Loogootee, Indiana.

It was commonplace for children to be give duties on their family farms, whether that be bringing firewood or fresh water from the well or working the tractor and helping harvest the land.

Farming was something that the entire family took part in and something that was usually passed down through the generations. It was very typical to find a family whose ancestry went back generations on any given piece of land. In the interview with Ernest B. Boney we are given a first hand account from the average farm land owner regarding his experiences as a farmer. It was also fairly common for farm families to be somewhat large, and he was the seventh of thirteen children. Ernest started his individual farming career very young, just after completing the 7th grade, and in his interview he discusses the activities he performed and the general feelings he has regarding his youth. Ernest also speaks about his experience getting married and having children, and the hardships accompanied with that as well. He comments on the importance of being able to provide for his family without the help of the bank, something most farmers were unable to continue doing once the depression hit.

Caroline B. Richards discusses her life growing up on a farm, her experiences with her husband and children, and the hardships they encountered through the Great Depression as well as how they managed through it. She insists how important it is to her and husband that they have a home they own outright, especially as their age progresses, and claims that she would have a little house in the country that is paid off over a nice house in the city that is owned by the bank.