Rural electricity important to farmers

The experience of having a new garage built and then waiting for the electric to be put in has brought me to a new realization of how important seemingly simple things like electric lights are in our lives. I can lift the garage doors by hand and I can use hand tools, battery-powered drills and saws in the building, but without lights, especially as the days get shorter, work time in the garage is at a premium.

This was the situation for farmers and rural residents before electricity was available to them. In 1935, nine out of 10 farms had no electricity, while in cities and towns almost 100% of the residents had electricity. Farm families had to depend on oil lamps and daylight to do their work. Some farms did have a Delco system that charged batteries for lights only, but only a few could afford this luxury.

In response to this problem, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress established the Rural Electrification Administration on May 11,1935, and the building of power lines through rural America began. By the early 1950s, nine out of 10 farmers in America had electric. On most farms, the first priority was electric lights for convenience and to extend the workday. Then came electric milkers and refrigeration for the house and to keep milk cool until it was picked up by the dairy. Following closely were automatic feeders and silo unloaders to feed livestock, electric shears for sheep shearing, grain dryers and power tools for construction and maintenance of farm buildings and fence.

Apparently many of the electric hookups for house and barn were completed and waiting for the power lines to be built, as the following story shared by a friend indicates. He tells of a 19-year-old left after lunch to hunt on the back side of the family farm. He knew he had to be back before dark to do the milking, but he still returned late. His mother had supper ready. After eating, she followed him to the barn with the oil lamp. But, as they stepped into the barn, she flipped a switch. The lights came on and they milked by electric lights. The power company had strung the power lines past their farm and hooked up the electricity in the short time he was out hunting.

Access to electricity provided by rural electric cooperatives has led to the ability to dry corn in bins after harvesting, which increases the days the farmer can harvest. It makes it possible for automated milking machines to replace hand milking and enables the farmer to increase herd size with less labor. It makes it easier for the farmer to repair and maintain machinery on the farm and pump water for livestock and irrigation.

Today, in Ohio there are 25 rural electric cooperatives serving more than 380,000 rural homes and businesses (farming is a business) in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

Chuck Bell is a former 4-H educator and Muskingum County Farm Bureau member.

This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Rural electricity important to farmers