In Granddaddy’s Shadow

As a child, I didn’t have an appreciation for the same things I do today as an adult.

I didn’t appreciate the hard work my parents put in every day to make sure we had all we needed. While I always did well in school, I didn’t appreciate the efforts my teachers made toward helping me learn all I could. And I didn’t appreciate the great gardener my Granddaddy was.

I recall sitting under the plum tree at his house for hours…shelling peas, snapping/stringing beans. As soon as I’d finished one bushel basket full, thinking I was done, here Granddaddy would come with another one!

Granddaddy always had acres of gardens. And he liked trying lesser known varieties. My mother tells the story of Granddaddy giving her arm loads of cantaloups to take home after a visit. She cut into one for dinner, and promptly threw it in the trash. It was green inside! She cut into another, and then another…all appeared under ripe and green.

Granddaddy later asked her how she liked the cantaloups, as he felt they’d been particularly good that year. She told him they were all green and she threw them away. He laughed, and told her they were an heirloom green flesh variety, not orange as she was accustomed to.

I also recall Granddaddy trying out kiwi in his garden for the first time. In my mind’s eye, I can still see it planted by his red barn. A male and a female. I don’t remember if he ever harvested any edible ones or not, but I can recall how excited he was to be planting them. He felt certain he was the only person in the county to be growing this “new fangled” fruit.

Grandaddy always had a waiting list of folks wanting bushels of beans, peas, or potatoes. If on the off chance he didn’t have all the harvest promised to his repeat customers, he would load up the back of his old pickup and head down the road. Sure enough, the bed of that truck would be empty when he returned.

As I plant my garden each year, I stand in awe as I think of the acres that man would work, by himself. The mountains of harvest each year a goal I continue to strive to reach. I long to be able to sit with him and glean wisdom on the best varieties, newest trends and latest methods.

Granddaddy has been gone 25+ years. So, I’m left here to work in the shadow of his memory as I plant, hoe and harvest my bounty. But I can still learn from his work ethic, his curiosity, and his devotion to growing the best produce for family and friends. And that I appreciate very much.

#Agriculture