“The Good Old Days” -By Tom Kuehne

Grasshoppers

Sometimes when we read or are told about historical agricultural happenings, the story will include references to grasshoppers and the destruction to farm crops that they cause. I recall years on the farm when there were enough grasshoppers to do some damage to grain crops, yet there was enough grain left on the stems to make it worth harvesting. It seemed that if it was a dry year, more grasshoppers would appear.

As a kid, it was felt that grasshoppers were both good and bad. They were a pest, in that they, whether out of curiosity or just stupidity, would land on your body and create a really creepy feeling. The good thing about the grasshoppers was that they were good bait for sunfish. They were fun to catch and when they were presented to the fish, while still wiggling their back feet, the action was really hard for the fish to resist.

Going back to old Bible stories, there were years when grasshoppers eliminated virtually anything in the field that was or is currently green. They attacked the fields in swarms that were referred to as being similar to a dust storm. Those flying into the field and those hatching from previous year's eggs made a great number of crop destroyers.

There was a time in Minnesota when the grasshoppers threatened total destruction of the crops. In 1857, grasshoppers suddenly appeared, ate up almost everything and disappeared. They were gone until 1873 when they moved into the western part of the state destroying the crops. This crop destruction continued until 1877.

In 1877 the residents of Minnesota began a united effort to get rid of the grasshoppers. Minnesota residents approached the Governor to proclaim a day of fasting and prayer. This was done and the result was that prior to and after the prayer day grasshoppers disappeared. No one was certain of where they went, they were just gone. The 1877 harvest was extremely successful, especially in the areas that were worst hit from the previous plague. This area was south and west of a line from Fargo to the Mississippi River and then south to the Iowa border.

Since at that time there were not any preventive spraying practices available to rid the area of the pests, the local residents attempted some rather unsuccessful solutions to the problem. One method was to make furrows around the grain fields, drag a rope over the field, thereby causing the grasshoppers to attempt to escape ahead of the rope until they reached a furrow, when dirt was thrown on them to get rid of them. It worked, but not well enough to help the crop loss. Another solution was created, which included a tractor and barrels filled with tar being driven over the field. This caused the grasshoppers to fly up and get tangled in the tar. Other methods included humans with flails, burning the fields, and placing grasshopper-eating flocks in the fields. It was successful but was no-way large enough to reduce the infestation.

Hopefully this plague is gone, farmers don't have a need to have more bugs to worry about and most of them don't have time to bait sunfish with grasshoppers or spend time cleaning fish.

For feedback or story ideas, email Tom at tom@swanvilleinsurance.com.

If you need help with Health or Life Insurance or for Senior Health Solutions Contact: Tom Kuehne 320-360-0343

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From the Desk of Pastor Bruce

Some people just don’t get it! I was reading John 11 a few days ago and was getting very frustrating. Now, I need to probably start by saying that I believe the Bible, every Word. I believe that God created the universe and everything in it in six days; I believe that Jonah got swallowed by a big fish and three days later the fish vomited him on shore; I believe that Jesus heals; and I believe that He died on the cross for me.

So, toward the end of Jesus' life the chief priests and Pharisees were looking for ways to kill Jesus. You would think that they would be encouraging Him to continue healing, but NO! In John 11 Lazarus is sick so his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent for Jesus so that He would heal their brother. Jesus delayed, so that the Glory of God would be displayed.

Then Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus had fallen asleep, meaning that he was dead, and that they were going to go to Judea to be with Mary and Martha. Thomas said, well, let’s go with him and die with Him, too. They had just come from Judea and the chief priests wanted to kill Him. When they got to Bethany, Martha went out to meet Jesus. She said that if He had been there then her brother would not have died.

Jesus told her “I am the Resurrection and

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Jesus went to the grave and raised Lazarus from the dead. Most of the people were rejoicing but some… get this… went and told the Pharisees all that He had done, knowing that they wanted to kill Jesus. Interesting, the same experience happened to everyone but there were several different responses. This same thing happens today. Many do not believe in Jesus or in His Word. But they see His creation every day, and yet they do not believe. They have closed their eyes to a loving God, reality. Which kind of person are you?

-Pastor Bruce Miller from Swanville Bible Church, 320-547-2916

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