When harvesting crews of twenty to twenty-five moved onto a farm to thresh the wheat, farmers’ wives had to be prepared to feed them four times a day. The meals had to be hearty and ready on time. Rainy weather or a machine breakdown meant that the workers waited in their bunks or on the field. Regardless, they had to be fed. During extended times of difficulty, the women used some of the preserves and provisions that they had stored for winter.
Wheat Threshing Crews Arrived with Equipment Caravan
At the beginning of the 20th century, steam was king. There was great excitement when the caravan of machinery and wagons followed the great tractor onto a farm. Most farmers could not afford to invest in their own equipment, so co-operatives of ten or more often made the purchase. Wealthy farmers with complete outfits made the rounds of the district after their own crops were in.
Cook Cars in the Caravan
The introduction of cook cars into the threshing caravan eased the burden upon many farmers’ wives and their supplies. The cook car was a crudely-built, twelve-foot-by-eighteen-foot, unpainted wooden box on metal wheels. The car contained a wood-burning cook stove, a water barrel, cupboards with storage bins and work counter, and two wall-mounted plank tables with benches. Cots for the cook and her helper folded against the wall during the day.
