A Sad Day

Today was the farm sale. My dad has been farming since he was born. He was raised in the home across the street from where he now lives. Farming is all he knows. So for 70 years, he has spent his time, blood, sweat, and tears building this farm. It's time to sale. Dad can't get around as well as he once could. He planted and harvested his last crop of wheat and decided that he was ready to sale.

So today was the day. I got up this morning and went down to the pasture where all the farm equipment was set out and took pictures. (I'll upload some when I get back to my home.) It was weird seeing all the tractors, disc, plows, cultivators and such just sitting in a row for someone else to take home. I was optimistic that it would be a good day. Earlier in the week, it was really hot. When we got up and it was cloudy and overcast, I was excited thinking that it would bring more folk out to the sale. Around 9 o'clock it started to rain...maybe an omen for the day. The sale started at 9:30 and the first to sale was a wagon load of junk. I was the lucky bidder of an antique gas can for my sister. (Although, Dad would have given it to her free.) Some things went with no problem and other stuff wouldn't even draw a bid. The turn out of bidders was pretty decent. I would have hoped for more but it would have been worse with less.

After the junk, Dad's biggest tractor was on the auction block. It's a big tractor and really nice. The opening bid was $20,000 (steal) no takers. What?? Down to $15,000--no takers. Down to $10,000--a crying shame. I'm standing there and it's all that I can do not to cry. My heart is breaking as I look over to my Dad whose head is down. I don't want to see this. I don't want to see him hear that the first bid on the tractor was $7500. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Tears well up in my eyes. It's raining pretty steady at this point and I have to get out of the crowd. I can't cry about this. I can't let anyone see how awful this is. My dad's head is hung low. I see him shake it...no this can't be all that he will get for years of hard work. Hours and hours spent on the tractor to feed is family is worth more than what is being bid. The auctioneer is doing all that he can to raise the bids. "It's a shame" he says. SOLD $9800. Unbelievable. Dad's just shakes his head and moves on.

My brother checks in with him. He says it's sad and he might want to go to the house but he stays. One by one a piece of his farm is sold. Some things bring good money and some things are given away. His combine--also sold for a very low price...one redeeming thing is that it sold to a very young farmer. Dad was glad about that-felt he was helping the next generation out.

It rained the whole sale. Nothing is dry. No one is dry. Almost like God was crying with us. It was sad to see each piece leave the farm. It was sad to watch Dad watch each piece leave the farm. It's sad to watch the end of an era. It was a sad day.