The Corn & Flower Years
During the years that Howard raised Angus beef cattle he also grew acres of hay. In the sixties after the market days ended, Dad started raising corn, tomatoes and flowers in abundance. He sold them at a little roadside stand right there on the farm. Local folks would stop by and pick up bulbs, a pumpkin, the best corn ever or a bouquet of daffodils or tulips. The tulip field was along a rural highway and could be easily seen by those who drove by. Many photos were clicked of the tulip field with the old barn in the background. All of us kids turned up at one time or another to help gather corn or sell tulips when the traffic was heavy. Dad would drive his car down to the corn field and load the trunk with corn, then put it out on the table where there was a tin can for the money. It was on the honor system when none of us happened to be around to greet the customers or collect money. Selling corn, bulbs, veggies and flowers took place until the farm was sold in 2002 and dad was ninety. The farm is gone now and we miss it dearly.