Cool to see sight today! Sorry, no pictures

oldtanker · Jun 13, 2019

Had another VA appt in St Cloud MN today. On the way there, just west of Leaf Valley MN there was a guy out in a field, old JD looked to be about a 720 JD 2 cylinder with a loader. Guy was driving real slow and he had 2 kids (10-12???) out there picking up rocks and putting them in the bucket. The once were were on I94 between Alexandria and St Cloud there was another guy with a 656 or 706 (seen from the rear at 70 MPH about 200 yards) with a manure spreader converted to a trailer (no beater) with 3 small kids (5-10????) also picking rocks. One little girl could barely reach up over the side of the spreader. Just kinda cool to see. Haven't seen anyone picking rock by hand in years!

Rick

stoughtonfarmboy · Jun 13, 2019

Might you be from Wisconsin? I grew up
calling it "picking rocks". Picked
many a bucketful and dumped on a flat
hayrack.

Ken

2510Paul · Jun 13, 2019

I grew up in Sheboygan County WI in the Kettle Morane. We had rocks. There was eight of us kids and spring time was constant picking rocks after school and weekends. It seemed like the actual tillage and planting was a non-event. The real event was picking rocks. We had an eighteen foot hay rack with side 2x4's. We picked by hand, strong back, or fork and then shoveled, picked, and lifted them off at the rock pile.

When I was very young my Dad was always blasting rocks and stumps. I was the oldest. We had dynamite and blasting caps in the garage. I was often sequestered to the house for the main event. I still remember that.

Some of my brothers and sisters are still bitter over the rock picking experience. Ya, it was pretty intense and lasted a long time.

I now live in La Crosse County in WI. Some farmers complain about rocks. I roll my eyes and tell them they got nothing.

Paul

showcrop · Jun 13, 2019

I went to a celebration of life for a long time friend last Thursday. A daughter and a son both told about rock picking as kids. Their dad would drive the tractor while the kids picked the rocks. The son said that his father wanted anything larger than his fist picked up while the daughter said anything larger than a golf ball. A little different perspective in the memory, LOL. With my kids it was anything larger than a softball. They had to roll the bigger ones so we called it going out to play "rock and roll". My daughter's best friend was pressed into service to play sometimes because she was around a lot. One time she commented that she was glad that her dad was not so much fun!

Northvale PA · Jun 13, 2019

We still hand pick them when we seed alfalfa. Otherwise, when taking that very first cut, the discbine will
shove the rocks and create a long permanent scar in the stand.

T in NE · Jun 14, 2019

I only miss rock when it rains.
We farmed a couple old gravel pits.

Traditional Farmer · Jun 14, 2019

I have picked up literally tons and tons of rock over the years,helped dad and then did it own my own from about 7 years old with an Allis Chalmers CA and a trailer.Still can't stand to see a loose rock in a hay field I'll get off the tractor when I'm doing hay to get it then throw it in the nearest ditch when I go by.

Bruce from Can. · Jun 14, 2019

My brother would take his kids, nieces and
nephews, and sometimes their friends too out
picking stones. He would have his wife make up a
big lunch for them, and this gaggle of kids from 5 to
12 would head off about ten o?clock in the morning.
And be all done by 3 in the afternoon. Everyone got
paid, from youngest to oldest. Then he would load
them all up and take them into town to the bulk food
store, so they could blow their hard earned cash on
bulk candy. He called it a Stone Pickers Picnic! And
the kids looked forward to this every year, some are
over Forty now , and still talk about going on stone
Pickers picnics with uncle Bill.

coshoo · Jun 14, 2019

We picked into the loader bucket of an 8N. We also had an old "stone boat", but with the loader bucket we only had to handle them once. Dumped them along the fenceline. When I rebuilt the fence as a teenager, Dad said to just move the fence out 6 feet so we didn't have to move the rocks- "We'll just give that 6 feet to the neighbor, and he can deal with the rocks if he wants to." It all got re-surveyed when he put in a housing development on his place.

JimB2 · Jun 14, 2019

Same here, we had lots of rocks to pick. Picked into a loader bucket, hat not done it years but now that I am retired, I helped my brother this spring but
mostly drove the tractor but did exchange places for a short time to stretch my legs.

Ultradog MN · Jun 14, 2019

Rick,
I'm done plowing for the year but next
year if you are still charmed by rock
pickers stop by my place in Aitkin.
I'll get a few photos of you.
😉

teddy52food · Jun 14, 2019

I live north of Freeport which is about half way between St. Cloud & Alex.

Cool to see sight today! Sorry, no pictures

oldtanker

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stoughtonfarmboy

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2510Paul

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showcrop

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Northvale PA

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T in NE

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Traditional Farmer

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Bruce from Can.

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coshoo

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JimB2

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Ultradog MN

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teddy52food

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