Recently a hard decision was made at the Schlaefli farm. With our farm pickup getting age and some mileage on it, we decided to trade it for a newer one.
For us, as with most farmers and their families, the farm pickup becomes part of the family and makes it hard to part with it. Thinking back over the years we had our farm pickup, we relied on it so many times. It was dependable and came through for us. Whatever the duty we gave our pickup, it was up for the task.
Our pickup wasn’t given a nickname as we had done in the past with our other pickups. Maybe we thought as farmers do about naming their calves and cows, that one day you would have to part with it. Giving them names just makes it harder to accept. Our older four-wheel drive pickup was called upon to get us through snow drifted country roads or through muddy roads. It took us over some mighty tall pasture hills that some pickups would bulk at. It traveled through thick brush and downed limbs to get us to check on cows that were calving. It hauled trailer loads of hogs to the sale two hours away, and took trailer loads of cattle to and from the pastures. It took trailer loads of cattle to the sale barn. It hauled trailer loads of large round, and small square bales from the hay fields. It’s bed would haul engines and heavy farm machinery parts, to and from the local mechanic shops to be replaced or repaired. During drought times, it would haul large containers filled with water to fill the pasture water tanks. The small trailer would often be hooked to the pickup to transport the four-wheeler from pasture to pasture in order to spray for weeds, locust trees and thistles. It would also take a loaded trailer with a lawn mower strapped down, off to mow another farmstead’s grass. It toted a large tool box filled with tools needed to make repairs. Pasture fence fixing could not be done without the pickup as it would be loaded with tools, rolls of wire and posts. It would go over pasture hills, and down into the valleys, over pond dams, and even into a ditch or two.
The pickup was used by the farm wife to take the “meals on wheels” to the fields. If harvest repair parts were needed in a hurry, the farm wife would be asked to drive the pickup after the repairs and get back as soon as possible. Chains were hooked to the pickup to pull a cow out of mud hole, or to pull another farm vehicle out of a field when it was stuck or refused to start. It’s hood could be opened and jumper cables attached to start other farm vehicles. It never turned us down.
The pickup was even called upon for “off farm” duties, such as to pull the camper trailer to the lake and back, or even pull to a winter Texas spot and then to make the long trip home again. It never gave any trouble.
It could be covered with limestone rock mud and be a mess inside and out, but with the help of a car wash, some muscle and a vacuum, the pickup would look almost brand new once again.
As we left the dealership in our newer pickup, it was with mixed feelings that I looked back to see the older pickup, left sitting as if it had been deserted. A tear our two came to my eyes.
It was a loyal pickup and it will be missed. It won’t be long until we get attached to our newer one and it too will earn its keep and be our trusty farm pickup.
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