The first designation of an official “farm-to-market” road goes back to January 1937, in the flat, dry land of Texas, quite some distance from the path around the Falls.
This project may have been some part of an economic recovery plan, as the nation worked its way out of the Great Depression. First, because it created jobs, making wider, better quality roads in what was sparsely populated farm land, and second, because it would enable farmers and ranchers to get their products to the market more easily and more quickly.
The idea made sense and expanded to other states. In time these “luxury” roads were built in many rural areas where general traffic would not seem to justify that extravagance. Quite often, the farm-to-market roads were designated as county or state highways. Infrastructure of many different types is important, and the sooner the upgrade is implemented, the greater the long-term impact.
In recent years, the quality of roads in rural agriculture has been more important than ever as heavier equipment is used in the industry. This is especially true in the dairy business where tankers of milk need to get to a processing plant, and tankers of the byproducts of running feed through the Holsteins need to be disposed of as fertilizer on cropland.
A few of these good, rural roads, perhaps not necessarily designated as farm-to-market roads, were used for a reverse purpose on Sunday, when Lee Roy and Diane Kruse hosted the Oconto County Breakfast on the Farm. Perhaps no connection, but their farm is located on CCC Road, and the initials are a reminder of another economy recovery program of the Great Depression. The east end of CCC Road goes into the Machickanee Forest, where the Civilian Conservation Corps is reported to have had a camp during that time.
In any event, CCC Road and a number of other roads were filled with traffic as thousands of people took in the event. Even though there were hundreds of vehicles in that traffic flow, none weighed as much as a milk or manure tanker. The weather was great, even after a night of rain that left standing water in a number of fields alongside the roads that led to the farm.
There had been contingency plans if the field conditions were too bad due to heavy rainfall. Visitors could park at Oconto Falls High School and catch a shuttle to the farm. Six buses and bus drivers were on high alert for that last-minute notice but were not needed. The district’s transportation department works like a fine-tuned, ladies Swiss watch, but it would have been a logistic nightmare to pull this one off without a hitch.
The Kruse farm is remarkable for a number of features, not the least of which was enough concrete surfaces that could stretch to make a three-mile long farm-to-market road, or so it seemed. Visitors had to be impressed with the massiveness of the equipment, the cleanliness of the operation, and the merry-go-round milking parlor that gave even deeper meaning to the old Carnation condensed milk slogan, “Milk from contented cows.”
No one left hungry, at least they shouldn’t have, unless they were allergic to dairy products. The operation involved hundreds of volunteers from a number of organizations, including local FFA chapters. Partnerships like that could not be possible without hours and hours of advanced planning. They did good work, and it showed.
Speaking of agriculture and showing, the Oconto Falls Friends of the Library is featuring a number of ag-related items in their weeklong silent auction. This is a first-time event. It’s worth it just to stop by to view the variety of unique items. This may even stir the creative juices for those who might want to participate in next year’s event. Who knows, someone might be able to come up with a really nice, decorated miniature manure tanker set on a farm-to-market road.
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