11 Wondrous Vintage Farm Photos

It’s the day after the 4th, and everybody’s probably feeling a little sleepy and sun-drained. So perhaps now isn’t the time for us to post an in-depth interview on the science of rotting hay. Maybe you’re not up for an 86-step instructional diagram on how to construct a wind-powered field irrigator. And, though it’s hard for us to believe, you might not even want to hear about the rise in fatal farm injuries (we’ll save that discussion for another day).

No, this is a mellow summer Friday. If you’re anything like us, you’d rather look at old-timer farm photos than do any heavy lifting with your brain. Please enjoy these vintage beauties, culled from the vast archives of the Library of Congress.

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]1. Farm auction in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Auction was given in English and German.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]2. Car-powered goat shearing in Kimball County, Texas. Workers were paid seven cents a goat.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]3. Farmer on a sugar cane cooperative, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]4. Winner of the 4th of July Greased Pig competition in Vale, Oregon.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]5. Hired hands eating watermelon, Jasper County, Iowa.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]6. Goat carriages in Central Park (technically not a farm photo, but c’mon people. GOATS.)[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]7. Smoking and hauling in Dresher, Pennsylvania.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]8. Wheat combine pulled by 20 mules, Walla Walla, Washington.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]9. Picking peppers for sale at farmer’s market, Falls Creek, Pennsylvania.[/mf_h5]

[mf_h5 align=”left” transform=”uppercase”]10. Tobacco farmers sleeping before auction, Durham, North Carolina.[/mf_h5]

Source: Library of Congress