Good article - brings back memories and knowing many farmers up this way are still living frugally, with an eye to the future. I got a kick out of the comments where others mentioned, among other skills, how the old timers made Chow Chow relish. I have the recipe for that from my grandmother and it’s the BEST relish ever. Got to plan on making more this fall.
I posted this article then went for a two mile vigorous walk with my dogs (my Golden Retriever is named Goldie) and during that walk I thought of this article and remembered that the wife of the guy who owned the small dairy that my dad ran (We didn't call it managing then) would send my brother and I out into the countryside around the farm to pick wild herbs for the pickles that she made...I can remember only two of the four herbs that we picked, bay leaves and fennel. Those were the days...we ate our morning cereal with pure cream from the dairy and pecans from the orchard.
We grew most of the food for the cows and ourselves there on that farm. (It's a sub-division now, The Highlands or some such)