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Haymakers: A Chronicle of Five Farm Families
Making hay has always been hard work, just about the hardest work on a farm. In The Haymakers, Steven R. Hoffbeck chronicles the story of five different farm families in five different eras over a span of 150 years. A history of farming in microcosm, Hoffbeck relates how the work of cultivating hay has changed over the last century and a half—a story not just about grass, alfalfa, and clover, but also about sweat and fears, toil and loss. One of the unique aspects of the book is that the fifth family that Hoffbeck chronicles is his own. Born into a farming family in southwestern Minnesota, Hoffbeck grew up working alongside his father and brothers and remembers, with rich detail, the sweat and toil of laboring on the farm. Throughout the book there is an undercurrent of danger and loss—as farmers struggled to tend their land under difficult circumstances, and as that work became more mechanized and conse-quently more dangerous. In the most heartfelt sections of the book, Hoffbeck writes of losing both his father and his oldest brother in separate farming accidents. As he writes, "wound around my memo-ries of summers haying with my dad and my brothers are deeper threads of mourning. Danger, both natural and mechanical, is woven into the fabric of farmwork." He also writes about his own feelings of guilt about leaving the family farm for a career as a teacher and historian. Hoffbeck also seeks to document and preserve the commonplace methods of haymaking, information about haying that might otherwise be lost to posterity. He describes the tools and the methods of haymaking as well as the relentless demands of the farm. Using diaries, agricultural guidebooks and personal interviews, the folkways of cutting, raking, and harvesting hay have been recorded in these chapters. Both a chronicle of the daily rhythms of farm work and a moving elegy for a vanishing way of life, the book is not so much about agricultural history as it is about family history, personal history—how farm families survive, even persevere.
223 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 14, 2018
This is basically the story of farm life in Minnesota and how a lot of the farmer's lives centered around making hay. The stories start in the late 1800's and go through the 1980's. When the author gets into detailed information on making hay it kind of lost me but the pioneers stories were interesting and the last story focuses on the dangers of farm life and a man that was the second person in his family to be killed in a farming accident, which was pretty powerful.
I had a hard time finding this book by entering the author or the name of the book and was only able to find it by entering the ISBN.
I had a hard time finding this book by entering the author or the name of the book and was only able to find it by entering the ISBN.
December 15, 2020
If you're a midwestern "farm kid" who grew up in the 40's and 50's, this is a memoir to that experience. If you are child of such people, this book will give you intimate insight into how their character was forged.
Recalling the histories of 5 real Minnesota farming families over multiple generations, Hoffbeck beautifully puts together an accurate word mosaic of the love of the land, the hard work, the teamwork of families, the dangers, the regrets, and the triumphs of that lifestyle.
Recalling the histories of 5 real Minnesota farming families over multiple generations, Hoffbeck beautifully puts together an accurate word mosaic of the love of the land, the hard work, the teamwork of families, the dangers, the regrets, and the triumphs of that lifestyle.
August 10, 2009
Great history and story of what seems like a non interesting subject. The authors was able to create real characters and empathy around the farm families in this book.
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September 26, 2012Very simple and easy read. I really enjoyed the educational aspect of history woven throughout the writing.
June 25, 2025
A Gem of a Book
Dr. Steven Hoffbeck's heartfelt book is about haying, or the process of putting up of hay, to feed farm animals through the long and punishing Minnesota winter months. Haying is an unusual topic and if the book were only about haying techniques, it would have little interest except to farming historians, but the book is more than haying, much more. "The Haymakers" is about the struggles and triumphs of hearty people dealing with the joys and the many difficulties of farm life. Dr. Hoffbeck takes the reader through 100 years of haymaking by describing the personal chronicles of 5 farm families, including his own.
Haymaking methods are described, from the simple yet intensely laborious scythe-harvest method through the making of large round and small square bales by machine. I found the evolution of haymaking facinating in itself, and it gave me an appreciaton of what farm familes have to go through to "get in the hay". For without hay, there is no winter feed for the farm animals; and without farm animals, there is no farm.
As any farmer will tell you, close calls and accidents are unfortunately all too frequent. Dr. Hoffbeck shares his experiences of losing his own father, and then tragically his brother, due to tragic accidents on the home farm. I was deeply touched by the way Dr. Hoffbeck writes about these deeply personal losses, and one can feel his pain, anguish, and loss through his words.
Dr. Hoffbeck also explains the farm crisis American farmers face today, that of debt, the trend to larger and larger farms, and the slow but steady passing of the small American homestead farm. Not having been raised, or even associated with the travails of farming life, I found his explanation quite enlightening. When he describes the crushing debt load that farmers take on to survive and modernize their farms, I can almost feel the weight of that debt on my shoulders as well. It is easy to understand the pressing economic problems farmers face after reading this book.
If you are looking for fast adventure, high suspense, or international intrigue, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a book that delves into the farming lives of our pioneers, our fathers and mothers, our grandfathers and grandmothers, and our uncles and aunts, then this book will illuminate your mind and touch your heart. It will give you an everlasting appreciation of the hard toil that our independent and strong-willed ancestors faced on a daily basis, and for the farmers of today who literally feed our nation and thereby sustain us. I highly recommend it.
March 19, 2012
Steven R. Hoffbeck’s book, The Haymakers: A Chronicle of Five Farm Families was an interesting, though disappointing, read. The concept of writing brief biographies of five farm families at different periods of time from separate areas of Minnesota might be a fascinating concept, but Hoffbeck fails to deliver on several fronts, which I will examine in this essay.
The book is aptly named as it covers the changes in the techniques and equipment in making hay in Minnesota for approximately 150 years, but what is not immediately clear is what type of book he is writing. It crosses numerous genres including agricultural history, memoir, biography, local history and Minnesota history, but the lack of a clear focus makes his central theme confusing. With a long biographical prologue, several autobiographical interludes, his family covered extensively in the final chapter plus the epilogue, it appears to be either a memoir or a biography of his family. If that is the case, then what did he need the other four chapters for?
There were several things in this narrative that felt out of place. His use of the Dakota Conflict in the Andrew Peterson chapter was also out of place. The conflict occurred at least 30 miles from Peterson’s farm, and Hoffbeck adds too much supposition in that section, which tells me that he is grasping for an audience. The Dakota Conflict sells books in Minnesota, though the books that sell are usually exclusive to the conflict and not ones with mere mention of it. It would have been more appropriate to use if Dakota warriors appeared at his farmstead, or if Peterson left his farm for a couple years to join the 6th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and found himself at the Battle of Wood Lake. But that didn’t happen. Hoffbeck writes, “Andrew and Elsa Peterson and their young family had not been harmed. Nor had anyone living in their vicinity Warring Indians came no closer to Waconia than thirty miles away in the adjacent McLeod County. As the conflict died down, Peterson carried on with his farming, and Elsa gave birth to a baby boy, named John (called Axel), on December 16.” (37) Peterson was probably concerned about the events in 1862, as most Minnesotans were, but from Hoffbeck’s narrative, it appears that Peterson was not concerned enough to take action, which nullifies its importance in this book.
The spread out geographical locations of the families added nothing new to the narrative either. There was no connection to his family, which seems to be the central theme of his work, which makes it disjointed. Whether Andrew Peterson resided in Carver County; Perry Kysor lived in Otter Tail County; Gilbert Marthaler lived in Stearns County; or the Rongen family residing in Polk County, means virtually nothing. The only geographical location that is important is the farm in Redwood County that has been in the Hoffbeck family for nearly 100 years since it encompasses the largest section of the book. Carver, Otter Tail, Stearns and Polk counties may have had an interesting history and the families that lived there may have had fascinating stories, but those would be better handled in a different work separate from the Hoffbeck family stories.
The literary device of using “Interludes” to tie his family also fails to impress. It comes across as a thinly veiled literary device used to tie his family with the other four to provide a degree of continuity with the narrative. The device would have worked if someone from the Hoffbeck family married into the other four families or if the other families had business dealings with the Hoffbeck’s, but to use the author’s appendectomy in 1963 as a way of showing kinship with Perry Kysor’s struggles was poor.
However, the book does have some redeeming qualities to it. Hoffbeck has a flair for the language and writes very clearly. The narrative reads well. The narrative provides a wealth of information about how hay is harvested. He gives detailed descriptions of the equipment changes over the years, plus he tells the non-farm reader, like myself, the difference between hay and straw and the importance of hay on the farm. The level of detail that Hoffbeck includes in his writing shows that he has a strong grasp of the subject and his crisp writing allows the reader to visualize the farm and the equipment. He even tries to introduce the sense of smell into the writing, and does so with success.
He is also a good storyteller. The stories that he tells of all five families are adequately researched and well written. He introduces the local history not just through narrative, but also through side-bars, which helps break up the text. The addition of suitable photographs and sketches is also a nice touch.
For this project to succeed, Hoffbeck needed to figure out if he was writing about hay or his own family. If his purpose was to introduce the history of hay farming in Minnesota, he should have done it in a different manner and left his own family’s story out of the narrative, except to point out in the prologue that he is a descendent of farmers. This would have allowed him to examine how things were done and what kind of crops made the best hay in different sections of the state, while keeping the other four stories relatively in-tact. It would have also given him the opportunity to dig in to the material a little deeper, including the use of more of the diaries, and get his point across in a clear distinct way. He could have written a history of the generations of Hoffbeck farmers in Minnesota, which would have allowed the readers a glimpse into how agriculture has changed within one farm family. Instead, he tries to blend the two, but does so in a way that sends mixed messages.
I think Hoffbeck is a good writer who tackles a unique subject, but the organization of his book is lacking. This would not have been high on my list if I judged the Minnesota Book Awards.
The book is aptly named as it covers the changes in the techniques and equipment in making hay in Minnesota for approximately 150 years, but what is not immediately clear is what type of book he is writing. It crosses numerous genres including agricultural history, memoir, biography, local history and Minnesota history, but the lack of a clear focus makes his central theme confusing. With a long biographical prologue, several autobiographical interludes, his family covered extensively in the final chapter plus the epilogue, it appears to be either a memoir or a biography of his family. If that is the case, then what did he need the other four chapters for?
There were several things in this narrative that felt out of place. His use of the Dakota Conflict in the Andrew Peterson chapter was also out of place. The conflict occurred at least 30 miles from Peterson’s farm, and Hoffbeck adds too much supposition in that section, which tells me that he is grasping for an audience. The Dakota Conflict sells books in Minnesota, though the books that sell are usually exclusive to the conflict and not ones with mere mention of it. It would have been more appropriate to use if Dakota warriors appeared at his farmstead, or if Peterson left his farm for a couple years to join the 6th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and found himself at the Battle of Wood Lake. But that didn’t happen. Hoffbeck writes, “Andrew and Elsa Peterson and their young family had not been harmed. Nor had anyone living in their vicinity Warring Indians came no closer to Waconia than thirty miles away in the adjacent McLeod County. As the conflict died down, Peterson carried on with his farming, and Elsa gave birth to a baby boy, named John (called Axel), on December 16.” (37) Peterson was probably concerned about the events in 1862, as most Minnesotans were, but from Hoffbeck’s narrative, it appears that Peterson was not concerned enough to take action, which nullifies its importance in this book.
The spread out geographical locations of the families added nothing new to the narrative either. There was no connection to his family, which seems to be the central theme of his work, which makes it disjointed. Whether Andrew Peterson resided in Carver County; Perry Kysor lived in Otter Tail County; Gilbert Marthaler lived in Stearns County; or the Rongen family residing in Polk County, means virtually nothing. The only geographical location that is important is the farm in Redwood County that has been in the Hoffbeck family for nearly 100 years since it encompasses the largest section of the book. Carver, Otter Tail, Stearns and Polk counties may have had an interesting history and the families that lived there may have had fascinating stories, but those would be better handled in a different work separate from the Hoffbeck family stories.
The literary device of using “Interludes” to tie his family also fails to impress. It comes across as a thinly veiled literary device used to tie his family with the other four to provide a degree of continuity with the narrative. The device would have worked if someone from the Hoffbeck family married into the other four families or if the other families had business dealings with the Hoffbeck’s, but to use the author’s appendectomy in 1963 as a way of showing kinship with Perry Kysor’s struggles was poor.
However, the book does have some redeeming qualities to it. Hoffbeck has a flair for the language and writes very clearly. The narrative reads well. The narrative provides a wealth of information about how hay is harvested. He gives detailed descriptions of the equipment changes over the years, plus he tells the non-farm reader, like myself, the difference between hay and straw and the importance of hay on the farm. The level of detail that Hoffbeck includes in his writing shows that he has a strong grasp of the subject and his crisp writing allows the reader to visualize the farm and the equipment. He even tries to introduce the sense of smell into the writing, and does so with success.
He is also a good storyteller. The stories that he tells of all five families are adequately researched and well written. He introduces the local history not just through narrative, but also through side-bars, which helps break up the text. The addition of suitable photographs and sketches is also a nice touch.
For this project to succeed, Hoffbeck needed to figure out if he was writing about hay or his own family. If his purpose was to introduce the history of hay farming in Minnesota, he should have done it in a different manner and left his own family’s story out of the narrative, except to point out in the prologue that he is a descendent of farmers. This would have allowed him to examine how things were done and what kind of crops made the best hay in different sections of the state, while keeping the other four stories relatively in-tact. It would have also given him the opportunity to dig in to the material a little deeper, including the use of more of the diaries, and get his point across in a clear distinct way. He could have written a history of the generations of Hoffbeck farmers in Minnesota, which would have allowed the readers a glimpse into how agriculture has changed within one farm family. Instead, he tries to blend the two, but does so in a way that sends mixed messages.
I think Hoffbeck is a good writer who tackles a unique subject, but the organization of his book is lacking. This would not have been high on my list if I judged the Minnesota Book Awards.
August 3, 2017
Farming has always been hard physical labor. With that go certain inherent dangers of the equipment used. There is a closeness that people get when working together, especially families when working for their common goal and working to improve their situation with their hope for the future. This book takes us thru 140 years of faming in Minnesota, following 5 families. Using letters, diaries and his own experiences, the lives of these farmers are brought to life. The authors own story is the most poignant. He tells of the hard and sometimes dangerous work that goes with farming. The deaths of his father and years later his brother to accidents add emphasis to that point. While the equipment used in farming evolves, gets bigger and more technical. The main concern of farmers still is , will the weather do what's needed to get a good crop in so I can take care of my family.
September 17, 2020
This book provides both insights to readers who have had little direct exposure to the hardships faced by farming families and serves stir up memories to those who grew up in a farming community. There is something for history buffs, sentimental farm kids, and anyone who has an interest in the life of others.
January 18, 2022
I thought it was the story of five farm families within the framework of haying; actually, it was about haying within the framework of five families. So there was much that I did not understand. However, the writing was good and the history was excellent. It chronicled the development of haymaking from the mid 1800s to the mid 1980s. I did not know that so much was involved.
January 4, 2021
I liked this book because it was interesting and about hay farming - something I know little about. I was impressed by the author’s extensive research and liked the way he included some anecdotes about himself and his family. It’s got some good photos included even though they are old and grainy.
April 24, 2024
The stories documenting the hard work and struggles were interesting and important. However, there is a lot of info about hay. Very repetitive info about hay.
February 24, 2025
Non-fiction history guaranteed to break your heart while giving you a new appreciation for family farmers.
February 25, 2025
A wonderful read about farming and a memoir of the author's farm family. I've lived and worked around farmers as an adolescent, and I never appreciated their very hard life and dedication.
September 11, 2025
Must read if you grow up on a family farm in Minnesota. Even though my family didn’t hay I can relate with all of the book.
December 30, 2015
The family stories in this book focus on haying and their experiences. Many interesting experiences are shared. The author recalls his childhood and the haying experiences of his family, too. It's a fascinating look at this aspect of farm life through the years.
"A Hope and Future" is about haying with scythe and oxen in 1862. Living in Carver County, where he spent roughly twenty years carving out a farm in the hardwood forests of Minnesota, Andrew Peterson, cut hay for his livestock. The year before he bought a new scythe for $1.25. Worried that he would not be able to put enough hay for his livestock this year, he worked hard to accomplish what he needed. The hay was carried on poles and put into woodcocks. Everyone helped, even children when they reached eight to ten years old. It's a lifestyle long gone and hard for us to envision.
"A Yorker's Sojourn in Minnesota is the story of how Oliver Perry Kysor hayed with horses. Having left his father's farm in New York, he moved to Otter Tail County in Minnesota. I, too, remember haying with horses. My father had a horse drawn sickle bar side mower that cut the native grass for his cattle. The Kysors were in their fifties when they moved to Minnesota. Perry cut timber to build the barn he needed with the help of neighbors, planted an apple orchard and grew popping corn to pop in a wire popper over the house fires. The prairie hay was pitched into wooden hayracks pulled by horses and hauled to the farmyard where it was stacked for winter.
"Farming Forever" details how one family hayed with horses, hay loaders, and slings. Gilbert Marthaler and his family lived in Stearns County. Their haying was sometimes fraught with weather incidents such as storms that set haystacks afire and lightning killed his brother seated on the iron seat of the mower.Yet they needed the hay for their cows. Equipment included a mower, a side-delivery rake and a hay loader. Yes, they had a small tractor but the haying equipment was designed to be pulled by horses.
"Tractors and Change" discusses how haying was accomplished with hay balers pulled by tractors. This is a story of how Arthur and Douglas Rongen of Polk County put up their hay. Their 1918 tractor had iron wheels and a body far different from today's tractors. To avoid debt, the buildings were erected one at a time. Their dairy herd needed a lot of hay, too, so in July they put up what they needed.
"Blue Silos on the Prairie" continues the haying saga with how Larry Hoffbeck used a swather, tractor and chopper to harvest hay. His joy was woodworking but he learned to work the farm and make hay. Larry did become a carpenter, building treehouses. He also helped build houses when a tornado struck the nearby town of Tracy destroying homes along a four block area and killing four people.
"A Hope and Future" is about haying with scythe and oxen in 1862. Living in Carver County, where he spent roughly twenty years carving out a farm in the hardwood forests of Minnesota, Andrew Peterson, cut hay for his livestock. The year before he bought a new scythe for $1.25. Worried that he would not be able to put enough hay for his livestock this year, he worked hard to accomplish what he needed. The hay was carried on poles and put into woodcocks. Everyone helped, even children when they reached eight to ten years old. It's a lifestyle long gone and hard for us to envision.
"A Yorker's Sojourn in Minnesota is the story of how Oliver Perry Kysor hayed with horses. Having left his father's farm in New York, he moved to Otter Tail County in Minnesota. I, too, remember haying with horses. My father had a horse drawn sickle bar side mower that cut the native grass for his cattle. The Kysors were in their fifties when they moved to Minnesota. Perry cut timber to build the barn he needed with the help of neighbors, planted an apple orchard and grew popping corn to pop in a wire popper over the house fires. The prairie hay was pitched into wooden hayracks pulled by horses and hauled to the farmyard where it was stacked for winter.
"Farming Forever" details how one family hayed with horses, hay loaders, and slings. Gilbert Marthaler and his family lived in Stearns County. Their haying was sometimes fraught with weather incidents such as storms that set haystacks afire and lightning killed his brother seated on the iron seat of the mower.Yet they needed the hay for their cows. Equipment included a mower, a side-delivery rake and a hay loader. Yes, they had a small tractor but the haying equipment was designed to be pulled by horses.
"Tractors and Change" discusses how haying was accomplished with hay balers pulled by tractors. This is a story of how Arthur and Douglas Rongen of Polk County put up their hay. Their 1918 tractor had iron wheels and a body far different from today's tractors. To avoid debt, the buildings were erected one at a time. Their dairy herd needed a lot of hay, too, so in July they put up what they needed.
"Blue Silos on the Prairie" continues the haying saga with how Larry Hoffbeck used a swather, tractor and chopper to harvest hay. His joy was woodworking but he learned to work the farm and make hay. Larry did become a carpenter, building treehouses. He also helped build houses when a tornado struck the nearby town of Tracy destroying homes along a four block area and killing four people.
December 30, 2015
The family stories in this book focus on haying and their experiences. Many interesting experiences are shared. The author recalls his childhood and the haying experiences of his family, too. It's a fascinating look at this aspect of farm life through the years.
"A Hope and Future" is about haying with scythe and oxen in 1862. Living in Carver County, where he spent roughly twenty years carving out a farm in the hardwood forests of Minnesota, Andrew Peterson, cut hay for his livestock. The year before he bought a new scythe for $1.25. Worried that he would not be able to put enough hay for his livestock this year, he worked hard to accomplish what he needed. The hay was carried on poles and put into woodcocks. Everyone helped, even children when they reached eight to ten years old. It's a lifestyle long gone and hard for us to envision.
"A Yorker's Sojourn in Minnesota is the story of how Oliver Perry Kysor hayed with horses. Having left his father's farm in New York, he moved to Otter Tail County in Minnesota. I, too, remember haying with horses. My father had a horse drawn sickle bar side mower that cut the native grass for his cattle. The Kysors were in their fifties when they moved to Minnesota. Perry cut timber to build the barn he needed with the help of neighbors, planted an apple orchard and grew popping corn to pop in a wire popper over the house fires. The prairie hay was pitched into wooden hayracks pulled by horses and hauled to the farmyard where it was stacked for winter.
"Farming Forever" details how one family hayed with horses, hay loaders, and slings. Gilbert Marthaler and his family lived in Stearns County. Their haying was sometimes fraught with weather incidents such as storms that set haystacks afire and lightning killed his brother seated on the iron seat of the mower.Yet they needed the hay for their cows. Equipment included a mower, a side-delivery rake and a hay loader. Yes, they had a small tractor but the haying equipment was designed to be pulled by horses.
"Tractors and Change" discusses how haying was accomplished with hay balers pulled by tractors. This is a story of how Arthur and Douglas Rongen of Polk County put up their hay. Their 1918 tractor had iron wheels and a body far different from today's tractors. To avoid debt, the buildings were erected one at a time. Their dairy herd needed a lot of hay, too, so in July they put up what they needed.
"Blue Silos on the Prairie" continues the haying saga with how Larry Hoffbeck used a swather, tractor and chopper to harvest hay. His joy was woodworking but he learned to work the farm and make hay. Larry did become a carpenter, building treehouses. He also helped build houses when a tornado struck the nearby town of Tracy destroying homes along a four block area and killing four people.
"A Hope and Future" is about haying with scythe and oxen in 1862. Living in Carver County, where he spent roughly twenty years carving out a farm in the hardwood forests of Minnesota, Andrew Peterson, cut hay for his livestock. The year before he bought a new scythe for $1.25. Worried that he would not be able to put enough hay for his livestock this year, he worked hard to accomplish what he needed. The hay was carried on poles and put into woodcocks. Everyone helped, even children when they reached eight to ten years old. It's a lifestyle long gone and hard for us to envision.
"A Yorker's Sojourn in Minnesota is the story of how Oliver Perry Kysor hayed with horses. Having left his father's farm in New York, he moved to Otter Tail County in Minnesota. I, too, remember haying with horses. My father had a horse drawn sickle bar side mower that cut the native grass for his cattle. The Kysors were in their fifties when they moved to Minnesota. Perry cut timber to build the barn he needed with the help of neighbors, planted an apple orchard and grew popping corn to pop in a wire popper over the house fires. The prairie hay was pitched into wooden hayracks pulled by horses and hauled to the farmyard where it was stacked for winter.
"Farming Forever" details how one family hayed with horses, hay loaders, and slings. Gilbert Marthaler and his family lived in Stearns County. Their haying was sometimes fraught with weather incidents such as storms that set haystacks afire and lightning killed his brother seated on the iron seat of the mower.Yet they needed the hay for their cows. Equipment included a mower, a side-delivery rake and a hay loader. Yes, they had a small tractor but the haying equipment was designed to be pulled by horses.
"Tractors and Change" discusses how haying was accomplished with hay balers pulled by tractors. This is a story of how Arthur and Douglas Rongen of Polk County put up their hay. Their 1918 tractor had iron wheels and a body far different from today's tractors. To avoid debt, the buildings were erected one at a time. Their dairy herd needed a lot of hay, too, so in July they put up what they needed.
"Blue Silos on the Prairie" continues the haying saga with how Larry Hoffbeck used a swather, tractor and chopper to harvest hay. His joy was woodworking but he learned to work the farm and make hay. Larry did become a carpenter, building treehouses. He also helped build houses when a tornado struck the nearby town of Tracy destroying homes along a four block area and killing four people.
February 17, 2021
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I had purchased it on impulse, because, in spite of the cliche, I do often purchase books based on their cover. And this cover intrigued me. And the description of the book caught me and made me want to read it.
What I wasn't expecting was such a captivating blend of historical fact and personal narrative. The author's drive to capture the themes of loss associated with farming and his familial connection with hay and land are what make this book so rich. The introduction primes the well of a personal story that carried me through to a deeper meaning beyond this book's significance as a historical text.
Shortly after reading this, I drove cross country. As I did, I could not help but observe the countless hay bales scattered across the land. I found myself thinking not just of their beauty and the historical context behind hay that this book described, but of the impact those bales had on the people who bound them with twine--and all of the memories evoked by the scent of green, nutritious hay that live beyond the gray-gold exterior.
*** Second Read Through, 2/17: I came back to this book both because it stuck with me for the past year, and because of everything I've read recently it covered a topic I was initially the most unfamiliar with. On my second reading, I found myself even better able to pick out the numerous cohesive themes woven into this book, gaining even more from the detailed descriptions of the haying process, and to admire to an even further extent the blend of historical writing and personal narrative. If I could increase my rating beyond 5 stars, I would.
What I wasn't expecting was such a captivating blend of historical fact and personal narrative. The author's drive to capture the themes of loss associated with farming and his familial connection with hay and land are what make this book so rich. The introduction primes the well of a personal story that carried me through to a deeper meaning beyond this book's significance as a historical text.
Shortly after reading this, I drove cross country. As I did, I could not help but observe the countless hay bales scattered across the land. I found myself thinking not just of their beauty and the historical context behind hay that this book described, but of the impact those bales had on the people who bound them with twine--and all of the memories evoked by the scent of green, nutritious hay that live beyond the gray-gold exterior.
*** Second Read Through, 2/17: I came back to this book both because it stuck with me for the past year, and because of everything I've read recently it covered a topic I was initially the most unfamiliar with. On my second reading, I found myself even better able to pick out the numerous cohesive themes woven into this book, gaining even more from the detailed descriptions of the haying process, and to admire to an even further extent the blend of historical writing and personal narrative. If I could increase my rating beyond 5 stars, I would.
April 27, 2024
Not everyone will find this book as fascinating as I did. I enjoyed reading about the five families that grew up among their own “tribes” - the Swedes, Yorkers, Germans…I also appreciated the detailed descriptions of haying at different time periods.
I grew up in the Midwest where I remember riding with my dad on the old open-air tractor when I was about five. I was sad that the alfalfa flowers were being cut down so my dad stopped the tractor and let me pick a few of “the flowers” to keep.
When I was a teenager, my job was to rake the hay into furrows for the baler. I drove the old Allis Chalmers that pulled the raking device. My dad or brother usually ran the baler with the John Deere tractor. I don’t think they trusted me with the mower or the baler.
I grew up in the Midwest where I remember riding with my dad on the old open-air tractor when I was about five. I was sad that the alfalfa flowers were being cut down so my dad stopped the tractor and let me pick a few of “the flowers” to keep.
When I was a teenager, my job was to rake the hay into furrows for the baler. I drove the old Allis Chalmers that pulled the raking device. My dad or brother usually ran the baler with the John Deere tractor. I don’t think they trusted me with the mower or the baler.
August 17, 2023
I found this book fascinating and could barely put it down. It explained so much that I had always been curious about my Mother's side of the family that were farmers. I spent my summers with my Aunt and Uncle. I didn't have to do chores but I was all over the farm with my cousins. I think deep down I wanted to be a farmer but you had to be born into it then plus I was girl. I could read books like this every day. I hope to find more to read. I was saddened by the tragedy that happened in Mr. Hoffbeck's family. I was aware that farming was one of the most dangerous occupations. It was wonderfully written and read like a good novel!
August 14, 2016
I suspect I enjoyed this more than the average reader to my farm experience and my total enjoyment of bailing hay. However, I think folks who enjoy history, and even tragedy, might find this a good read (it won the Minnesota Book Award after all.) I can’t say that Mr. Hoffbeck has become my favorite author, but most of this book did work for me. Hoffbeck interweaves personal stories and other history into the read – which are interesting – but they make the read a little disjointed at times. Still, a fine read.
December 20, 2019
A Carefully researched history of Farming in our Country - The very personal stories of 5 farm Families from the 1800s to present, told through detailed farming diaries and personal stories. The Author tells his own family story to honor their memory and their Legacy. Quotes by Emerson and Poems by Robert Frost provide beautiful and solemn tribute to the lives of "The Haymakers." After reading this book, I will appreciate Farmer's produce and dairy products with a new depth of understanding . When I drive by farms and fields, I see them now with new eyes.
January 23, 2014
I inherited this book from my daughter. It was a book she was to read in college but never did. If you are interested in art of haying, it would be an interesting read. However to the general public it would more than likely be a very boring book. Parts of it were interesting as it brought back memories from my dad's haying days but I certainly would not recommend this book.
June 12, 2020
This is a rather specialized book. But I found it interesting for two reasons. One, because I, like its author, grew up a farm boy. So the stories told are stories I lived. And two, because as the book traces the history of haymaking in particular, it also lays out the history of American farming in general.
September 27, 2020
Very interesting but easy reading of the making of hay by five different families from mid-1800s thru present era. Includes the work, toil and hardships when all hay was harvest entirely by manual labor to farm problems of the economics involved as new machinery and storage devices were obtained to decrease the manual labor.
April 17, 2020
I wasn’t expecting to like this book but fell in love with it. I learned a lot about eking out a life on a farm. The lives of the five families kept me engaged and flying through the book. I would recommend it.
April 2, 2021
Interesting. A little dry and slow moving at times, but I had a friend to discuss with and make me appreciate the subject matter. Not something I would have normally read, and appreciate the recommendation from a friend.
October 21, 2016
I got this book from my son who has to read it for a College assignment. I didn't like it much maybe because I didn't grew up in a farm. It went back to my son.
February 20, 2020
Interesting if you are truly interested in the history of farming. It was more technical in this aspect than I expected. Not too gripping from a plot perspective.
April 16, 2020
Glad I read this book on The Life of Farmers , Families, the trying days of a life that has passed. Meaningful Family and touching.
July 16, 2020
For a CIty GIrl quite an introduction to the farm life. Amazing work ethic and what challenges they still have to overcome. Love the history of the families. Neatly broken into 5 families.
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