By Frank H. Jeter, State College Extension Editor, as published in the Sanford Herald, March 29, 1948
There are probably as many good farmers in Chatham County as in any similar area, anywhere else in North Carolina. Most of them own small farms when you consider the acreage; but most of them are large producers, considering the progressive way in which they use their land. A good example of this can be found on the farm of P.F. Goodwin, Apex, Route 3. Mrs. Goodwin is the former Lenoia Yates, and the Goodwins bought their present farm, of 102 acres, in 1930, a little over 17 years ago. At that time, it had only 11 acres of cleared land available for cultivation. Naturally, Mr. Goodwin had to put in considerable time when not actually busy making a living, in clearing more land so that he could have a well-rounded farm operation. For the past 17 years, therefore, he gradually added more cleared land until now he cultivates 54 acres. On this 54 acres, he grows 10 acres of tobacco, three acres of sweet potatoes, both cash crops, 12 acres of corn, and 25 acres of small grain. Along with this small grain is 15 acres of lespedeza, usually harvested for hay.
Then, in addition to these cash and feed crops, Mr. Goodwin has 22 acres of pasture, of which 13 ½ acres were seeded to Ladino clover and orchard grass last fall. This was done after the land had been well limed and phosphated. He also used 800 pounds of a 2-12-12 fertilizer at seeding time. In other words, Mr. Goodwin says that if he is to spend good money for grass and clover seed, he intends to see that this money is backed up or reinforced with other money spent on plant food. That, in itself, is a great change in our North Carolina agriculture, but it means that we have come to learn that a good pasture is an important crop—as much so as any other feed crop grown on the farm.
CATTLE
Mr. Goodwin needs this 22 acre pasture because he has a nice heard of 24cattle. At present, he is milking 16 and is getting about 40 gallons of milk a day. He sells a grade “A” product at a premium price because he has built a new 11-stanchion barn complete with milk house and feed room. His cows a are a mixed herd of Jerseys, Guernseys and Holsteins; and the y provide an excellent income along with the returns which he gets from his tobacco and sweet potatoes. In other words, Mr. Goodwin is one of those alert North Carolina farmers who has found that he can continue to plant and grow his full allotment of tobacco, yet supplement this income with milk cows and other cash income sources. He does not depend upon his tobacco money entirely with which to buy everything else that he needs.
It is necessary to have some help handling these diversified farm enterprises, of course, so Mr. Goodwin has one share cropper and one day laborer. The cropper is employed, as a day laborer at any time that he is not needed in his own fields, and Mr. Goodwin says that this helps to provide work the year around. In fact, the labor on the place was used to help build the new dairy barn.
The farm has electrical current; and there is an automatic pump, which makes the dairy business less exacting that it otherwise might be.
SOIL CONSERVATION
The cows furnish valuable manure for building up the soil, and all of the open land is well-terraced with the necessary meadow strips established so as to slow up the runoff water. All the rows are run on the contour, and this further helps to hold the moisture in the ground for the use of the crops in summer. The open, cultivated land is covered in winter with small grain, legumes or the other fall-seeded soil building and grazing crops. Down in the pasture, there is a 2 1/4 acre farm fish pond to furnish a place to swim, to catch fish, or to water the cows. There are two boys in the family, Ted, 14, Bun, age 3. Ted not only enjoys that firm fish pond but he also finds time to take part in the 4-H club at the nearby Bells School. He has a purebred OIC gilt as a member of the endless chain pig club, and purebred Guernsey heifer as a member of the endless chain calf club. Mr. Goodwin also keeps two purebred OIC broad sows to provide meat for his family and for the cropper’s family, as well as a surplus of pig to sell. The soil on this farm is of a sandy loam nature, ideal for growing high class vegetables and the Goodwins always have a nice home garden.
In fact, they are using their 102 acres of land to full advantage. They have been so busy paying for it, clearing up more acres, building the two barns for the workstock? and cattle, terracing the farm, building the fish pond, and otherwise adding to the convenience and value of the place,and that they have not yet been able to fulfill their last and biggest dream. That’s the next thing on the program. It’s the building of a comfortable and adequate farm home to replace the old house in which have lived all these years. The plans have been made and if everything goes as it should, the Goodwins will get to work on that home shortly now and will be living in it by this time next year.
And it all came from the land by hard work, industry and management.
OTHER CHATHAM FARMERS
John Bunyan Snipes says that most Chatham County folks are forging ahead. Since many of the new milk cows are kept for a part of the time in barns, especially during such weather as we have had this winter, the dairymen have found that their animals do better when they have been dehorned…..
John Bunyan says some 29 were dehorned by Sherman Butler of Pittsboro….
Willie Lindley has a new grade "A" dairy in which he milks seven cows and he plans to increase his herd to 15 cows as quickly as he can. He is one of Chatham’s latest converts to the grade “A” dairy business. W.D. Wilson of Bear Creek, Route 1, also has a new grade “A” milking barn and just added three registered Guernsey cows to his herd. This spring he will seed a good pasture to Ladino clover and orchard grass. W.B. Phillips of Bear Creek, Route 1, had added a new lounging room to his dairy barn and has bought a registered male Guernsey from George Coble’s herd in Davidson County. Mr. Phillips also will seed five acres to Ladino clover this spring. These Chatham farmers know full well that fall seeding is almost always better than spring seeding. But when a man needs feed for his cows, he must take a chance on those late spring dry spells which sometimes ruin a newly seeded pasture.
The other Phillips families living in the Bear Creek section also are improving their dairy operations. Paul E. Phillips has enlarged the lounging room for his cows. He says that five acres of Ladino clover and six acres of grazing crops which he planted last fall survived the winter freezes and are growing nicely. He, too, has secured a purebred Guernsey bull from the Coble herd. Marshall Phillips is not yet selling grade “A” milk but is in the process of changing over from the grade “B”. He will have to dig a new well to get pure water free from surface run-off or carry his present well further into the ground. Spinks Phillips has only a small dairy herd and while he planted some pasture last fall, he also is adding more this spring.
H.A. Fearrington of Merry Oaks plans to seed 15 acres of Ladino pasture this spring. He may not have the time seed it all but if not, will finish the job early next fall. He has a nice stand of alfalfa planted last fall and believes that alfalfa will do about as well on is sandy loam soil as it will on his heavier clay land.
Some of Chatham’s new settlers are going into the livestock and poultry business. Harvey Brown from Chicago has secured plans for building a dairy farm out there.
Chatham farmers believe in their poultry business. Hatcheries and dealers placed 184,000 broiler chicks in that area last week. Ward Snarr of Siler City, Route 1, put in 184,000 broiler chicks during the recent freezing weather and, despite the snow and ice, the chicks came along fine. Man of the growers have not been able to start their broiler chicks as early as usual this season because they heat the brooder houses with oil and oil, as some of us know, has not been available. Those who use wood, claim that the cold weather has worked them overtime, chopping wood and firing the furnaces.
BLIND FARMERS
John Bunyan says that one of the interesting things happening in Chatham farming lately is the activity of those farmers in the county who have lost their eyesight. For instance, there is Hesler Summerlin of Chapel Hill, Route 3, who is very anxious to partially earn his own living. He knows how to grow truck crops but is almost totally blind. It is planned now to get him small garden tractor so that he will not have to grow feed for his horse and then, with the aid of his wife, he can produce vegetables for the market. His wife will sell these on the Chapel Hill curb market.
Minter Hadley of Pittsboro, Route 2, a blind Negro farmer, likes to grow chickens and has some experience in fattening broilers for the market. His landlord has agreed to build a brooder house; and the State Blind Commission will furnish the necessary heaters, feeders, water fountains and the like. The Blind Commission also is going to help get that garden tractor for Hesler Summerlin.
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