Bringing in the oats

There were no combines in the 1920s; the Eckberg family, like all their neighbors, used a grain binder in harvesting their crops of oats and wheat. The binder was pulled by horses, as seen here, or later by a tractor. The grain binder was Olof's most expensive piece of farm equipment until he bought a tractor. He paid $150 for it sometime before 1920.

The family members have stopped for a break; Art and LeeRoy Eckberg are standing at left. The person on the binder is unidentified. Horses provided a great deal of the power for farming in the early years and were very valuable. When one of his horses died in 1918, Olof recorded his loss at a value of $197.

The binder would tie the grain in little bundles and then the binder operator would drop them off in the field periodically. Other workers would gather the little bundles and stand them up in shocks, like we see here. Art and LeeRoy Eckberg are standing by some shocks of what look like oats, but could be wheat. Olof appears to be operating the binder, at the back.

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