Close Reading

 “One of these days,” he said, “I’m going to clear out some of this junk.” He glanced around the barn as if seeing it through my eyes. “All except that saddle. Belonged to my daddy. Back in the day, he grew up using horses to plow the fields. Only time I ever saw the old man cry was when we had to sell those horses.”

“Why’d you sell them?”

“Needed the money. We couldn’t afford to keep them on, not after we bought a tractor that needed repairs and gas. Horses were another mouth to feed. I don’t think my dad liked farming so much after they were gone. Said he didn’t like the way things were changing.”

“What do you mean?”

“He used to say that farming was about taking care of your family. If you had it figured right, everything worked together. Horses pulled the plow and their manure was used to fertilize the fields. A good farmer rotated his crops, took care of his soil. That’s how my daddy learned it, and that’s what he taught me and Eddie. But things started changing after World War II. Hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, new equipment. Farmers like my dad got left behind.

“But I will say this for the old man. He always paid his debts, so he left me this farm free and clear. That’s the only reason I’ve been able to get by the past few years. And now that there’s two of us,” he said, smiling sweetly at me, “I figure it’s time to start making some changes.”(The Seed Keeper, Diane Wilson Page 106-107)

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