Growing up in mud...
settled with his wife, Grace, on a ranch
that would remain the family farm for
seven generations and counting. It is
amazing for me to able to look at my
163 year old house and think that seven
generations of Harlans have been raised
on this farm. For so many reasons, I am
grateful that I have grown up on a ranch.
It is something that will always be a part
of me, and I wouldn’t have wanted to
grow up any other way.
Written By:
Amelia Harlan
Senior, Woodland FFA
In
1852 my third great grandfather,
Joseph Helm Harlan, left Missouri driving
livestock to California. He came to
California for a new beginning and
6
California FFANEWS • Spring 2015
Life on the farm
when you are
young is full of
fun adventures
and freedom to
roam.
When I was a little kid, I would have so
much fun with my siblings and friends
running around the ranch. We would
go swimming in the ditch, have rotten
tomato fights, climb on hay bales, go
on scavenger hunts, and pretend that all
of the equipment was our playground.
One time my friend and I built a fort in
an old sugar beet truck where we would
play and do our homework. My brother,
sister, and I absolutely loved when it was
harvest time because we could ride on
the tomato harvester or ride with Dad
in the combine. We were taught what
hard work was at a young age. All
of the animals needed to be fed early
every morning, the rotten oranges had to
be picked up, and the shop had to be
swept. Despite the work, any of us would
much rather be outside doing something
than playing video games or watching TV
all day.
As
I became older, my perspective
of our family farm evolved. I learned
what owning a family farm is all about.
It’s not just about growing crops or
caring for animals, it is about hard