Do you know why farmers leave one tree in the middle of a field?

[@kagnewmp12]

I subbed because of this story. My Grandfather was born in 1887 and owned his Farm when he turned 17. He farmed till he had a bad stroke at 81 and lived till he was 90 in 1977. If you go to the farm today which is still owned by my family you can see that huge maple tree standing almost in the middle of an 80 acre field. There are many big rocks around it and all of his Grandchildren including my children have all sat in the lower branches of that beautiful tree. I'm 71 now and that old tree will outlive me. Thank you for reminding me of this.

[@Drloew1]

Cool story. Lots of things in common.

[@ericglaude4953]

I did too and love reading the comments of those like yours that had similar experiences when we were young. There are still some of the young generation today that time to just be kids playing around the old maple tree in the pasture, but too many just follow the wrong path. Shame. Thanks for the story and the memories.

[@pampoovey3281]

I wonder if there was pitching of woo there.

[@kagnewmp12]

@@pampoovey3281 most Definitely

[@buyystocks]

my gramps born in 1898, had a dairy farm, lived to 97.

[@samTollefson]

Another vital reason to have a tree in the middle of a field is to provide a perch for predator birds like owls and hawks, which helps reduce rodent predation of the crops. They are your friends!

[@MrTemplerage]

I said this too but you know we left a portion fallow as per the USDA preference and had red tails (Yellow) nesting on the ground. Such a surprise!

[@samTollefson]

@@jackpoage5419 This is why I have always advocated for land-clearing loggers to please leave a few of the old grandfather trees. Deaf ears~~~!

[@DrDavidThor]

That was gonna be my second guess after "farmers don't seem sentimental but the tree proves they actually are."

[@smallfeet4581]

Its nice to see a field with a tree in it and livestock can go under it for shade or shelter too , be pretty bland looking if none and yes a place for birds too ,

[@patrickmchose7472]

@@samTollefson My son is an arborist with a forestry resource management degree. Yes, he's trained in the field for producing lumber, but he would advocate strongly to let the grandfather trees alone.

[@roadrunner9622]

Psychologically it's the difference between "a field with a beautiful tree in it," and "a big empty field."

[@pmchamlee]

I'm not sure about psychologically, but physically it does distinguish the land as having a mindful caretaker and effective user.

[@hull5768]

good point

[@WinkLinkletter]

Ride in the back seat as a little kid through mile after mile of Kansas fields without break and then come across a field with a giant picturesque tree standing in it, maybe with a flock of birds perching, or some cow resting in the midday shade, and you know there is a BIG psychological difference.

[@theargonauts8490]

@@pmchamlee oh that’s rich. They cut most of them down to get ever square foot of land, and a few extra beans 💰 The opposite of taking care of the land.

[@Jeremycook_]

Agreed

[@jaytee2642]

I LOVE that a simple video about a tree in the middle of a field, has 2.3 MILLION views. Maybe there is hope for us. Thank you for sharing your tree with us.🌳

[@chazzcapone.]

BEST COMMENT!! 😂😂😂

[@varsoonhks3211]

Nah lol this country voted for TRUMP, dawg, we're all fucked and WE DESERVE IT

[@planetjanet3845]

@@varsoonhks3211 no candidate has ever been more popular than not voting in this country, keep that in mind next time you think the president represents the Soul of America or something

[@Metblondchen]

@planetjanet3845 other countries vote either on sunday (when in many countries stores and services are closed) or make it a nationwide day off. Also the whole voter registration thing is just designed as such a road block it's downright criminal, in my country it's automatic with resident registration at the place you live. Then add the whole gerrymandering thing... you guys have been duped, really. 😔 and my condolences to your (long-er) dead democracy are sincere, not gloating.

[@hexhex7220]

"A society grows great, when old men plant trees, in whose shade they shall never sit" Greek Proverb. That is one spectacular tree, a true work of art.

[@edgewood2441]

It’s a tree no more, no less.

[@thisbushnell2012]

​@@edgewood2441Until it's high noon in August during the dog days, the tractor broke down and you're waiting for the boy to bring out a replacement part. Sitting in the shade of that tree, cold beer in one hand, and your sandwich in the other..........

[@alphagt62]

All of the trees in the middle of fields that I know of have graves under them. They farm around it rather than disturb the graves.

[@stronghold500]

​@@edgewood2441 yeah just a tree🤪

[@psychonaut689]

@@edgewood2441 may have many functions - and that's only a functionalist perspective. They are beautiful for all they represent - fertile land for one.

[@MissyS1614]

Shoutout to “because I like it and it’s not really a problem” as a reason. Not everything in life is about pure productivity, sometimes the tree is nice and that’s that.

[@merlball8520]

The reason farmers started leaving a lone tree (hardwood tree if the farmer knows what he's doing) in the middle of a field long ago was because they were planning to chop down that tree for making heirloom furniture. A lone tree in a field doesn't have other trees around it to help break the wind. Its wood gets harder and more durable standing on its own. Eventually, when harvested, that wood makes excellent furniture and stair steps. Then they'd plant new trees in the same spot for future generations to do the same (they'd plant a few trees so there's a better chance that at least one takes and they or future farmers/heirs would cull all but one).

[@sayingnigromakesyoutubecry2647]

​@@merlball8520that's a nice reason

[@solomongrundysfoot]

This is the only reason I heard in the whole series of what ifs that could hold water.

[@brian70Cuda]

I loved that Missy! Trees are so nice to look at too;)

[@petersimpson633]

truth!

[@dankoston2904]

I was a professional arborist for 10 years. I applaud you for not cutting down that beautiful tree. The benefits of trees is beyond counting. I'm sure that the worms under the tree also help with your crops.

[@cjames22dox]

I'm sure the benefits of trees have been counted. I don't think there could be an infinite number of possible benefits.

[@marybethjohnson3305]

It is a magnificent tree and it kinda "anchors" the land. I IMMEDIATELY C!ONSIDERED THE SHADE benefits and the shelter for the birds of all size. We LOVE our trees

[@LijaMoore]

yes!!!

[@oneoranota]

They probably are beyond counting on your two hands, though. A professional could man a 2 hours video with the amount of services and value that single tree provides.

[@whosjohncorzine]

@cjames22dox ☝🤓

[@MrDominickpal]

So glad you appreciate this tree. I used to rent a little house in the middle of soybean/peanut and corn fields. Came home one day and the lovely little patch of beautiful, mature trees - a little secret garden where we'd buried our pets - had been bull dozed into a huge pile of destroyed trees. I was shell shocked. No warning or anything. I could hardly bear to live there after that. I don't know why he did it. The fields were huge. And he couldn't put anything there for the rest of the time I lived there since it was a just a massive pile of dirt and trees. After that I thought farmers just hated trees. I saw other farmers do the same. I so appreciate that you find value in that tree. Thanks for sharing this.

[@ericjsmoczynski4374]

Disease?

[@Metblondchen]

sometimes a tree to big becomes a hazard (widow maker branches?) and with storms increasing and insurances getting even more greedy and while granting less, I can at least understand a motive of possible financial ruin by _one_ tree. Not saying I like it, but I can empathize with that fear🤷‍♀️

[@whatsup3270]

When the fields were worked by hand those trees were god sent, for shade.

[@snipeswashere]

Nothing has changed buddy. Still God sent!

[@glentonkendrick]

@@bsalightning69 god sent maybe????

[@prmath]

Best answer S H A D E

[@maryfuller8598]

Great topic and insights! Keep 'em coming😊

[@aclockworkpeon]

Yep. Now the fields are worked by million dollar machinery paid for by the lower middle class with millionaires receiving farm welfare.

[@jimmyford4509]

My grandmother used to work in the fields in rural SC with her sisters and brothers along with the children belonging to nearby homes, when they were young. They worked all day in the hot sun. She explained her day as "from can to can't ", meaning they began working at sunrise as soon as they "can" see, and worked until it got too dark when they "can't" see anymore to pick whatever crop that was planted that year, usually tobacco or some kind of beans. They would always stop at midday and gather around the huge tree in the middle of the field to eat their lunch and rest for a while in the shade. She said they all loved that tree and the comfort they recieved from the cool breezes in the shade under it. When you mentioned the part about if the trees could talk, the stories they could tell about all the memories that were made under them, it brought back that memory to me. Thank you for that. I loved her very much and owe her a great deal for helping to raise me into the man I am today, 73 tears old. She also mentioned the fact that there was usually a large hawk's nest in that tree most years and the hawks kept the pest population in check. It was also a spot everyone knew and where the "younguns" would meet in the even8ng and I expect that there were a few that met there and experienced the first kiss of their young lives under it's branches.

[@johnnytoronto1066]

Nice. Beautifully said. Especially the part about one's first kiss. Love that!

[@noahriding5780]

I agree with your reasoning and was about to say similar. Before the days of air conditioning it would have been pretty unbearable around 1 PM to 4 PM when the heat of the day was the worst. They may have had to stop sometimes from dehydration. My great grandfather got heat stroke a few times from trying to work the farm in the heat; he lived but the heat could be dangerous sometimes.

[@c.t.murray3632]

That is a great story about your grandmother and that tree. I know they worked extremely hard and that tree saved their lives and kept them happy. The stories under that tree must be phenomenal you should write a book about them.

[@Hanging_Brain]

@@flyneco22hey man whatever you got going on, i hope it gets better

[@aaronbutler8061]

The first kiss part makes me wonder how many next generations were created under that tree as well. 😂

[@ocvettek07]

The most important reason to leave a tree in a field is that it acts as a lightning rod. Without the tree, the farmer or his team/tractor would be the tallest object and get struck.

[@JGordon-ch6nd]

I would go with this. That makes sense. Too bad the video is just musings of a farm hand.

[@GeezersSi]

That was one of my first thoughts too.

[@WhiteBuffalo032]

Yep

[@HotRod53-o3g]

Absolutely! Also, for protection from large hailstones and tornados.

[@ericl2969]

Lightning protection is only within a small cone-shaped volume of space right around the tree, and in this case, probably closer to the tree than you want to be if there's a lightning strike.

[@AV8R_1]

I can't believe this just popped up in my suggestion feed. In fact, I HAVE wondered this very thing! I am a pilot, and from the air about a year and a half ago I started noticing a trend. A lot of the big farms that I flew over had fields where there was always one tree in the middle of the field. Once I noticed it, I couldn't stop seeing it. I started taking pictures of all of the instances that I saw from the air, as I was going to use them in a photo post on Facebook to ask if anybody knew what the reason was. Obviously in a field with livestock, it makes sense to leave at least one large tree to give the animals refuge from the sun during the day. But, I've noticed it in crop fields also... puzzling. Thanks for the explanation!

[@Drloew1]

Thanks for the comment. There’s a lot of good reasons to read about this in the comments

[@IHavAnAkimbonr]

@@Drloew1 too bad the creator of the video didn't decide to make an informative video containing numerous, thought-out answers for why so many farmers have this single tree in their field. Instead it's really just a video saying "uhh... cause i like it and it's not hurting anyone..." Now, i have to scour through the comments to find answers that one would've thought would've been in the video...

[@Drloew1]

@IHavAnAkimbonr I just stirred the pot to make people comment. They are awesome. So much historical information to read.

[@LuckyBaldwin777]

That tree is gorgeous. Makes me smile when I see a tree like that.

[@BusinessMan1619]

My grandfather was born in 1889 in NC. I can remember him from when I was very little in the early 1970s. On his farm there was a lone tree far out in the field. I never heard any stories about the tree but me and my cousins would sit in the shade under the tree. We used to pretend that it was an oasis or an island. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@Drloew1]

I love the comments like this. I cannot believe how many people have thanked me for a memory that was once lost.

[@agroplode9680]

My grandfather had a walnut tree. It was halfway on the edge, right next to the water canal. He would sit there in the shade and rest during the hottest time of the day.

[@TheEsquireOfSportsFSU]

My great-great uncle was born in 1877 and I met him when I was 7 in 1986. He was still farming. Died the next year at 110. His farm was similar.

[@LeverPhile]

In some ways it was an oasis.

[@firebolt100]

Dude… your grandfather lived to be 110yrs??! He simply HAD to sorta feel like he lived on another planet given how much has changed and who was no longer around.

[@jasonrhodes7047]

My grandfather left a big old elm in the middle of a field because most all the other elms had died I our area. He cared for that tree by making sure it got a little fertilizer every year. He died I January 2021 at 96 and that tree didn't produce leaves that summer. Its almost like they died together.

[@LoganJohnson-lm2bh]

When an old friend dies you morn that tree and your Grandfather were great friends .It's to bad that tree can't talk I'm sure it has lot's of stories to tell .

[@JakeBor]

​@@LoganJohnson-lm2bhmourn

[@brucekuehn4031]

We lived on the edge of a small town in a farming group of counties. A huge elm stood out in the field nearby. Climbing up that old tree made a kid feel like he was 300 feet in the air. That tree is long gone. The many species of birds that we used to see every day are rarely seen anymore either. Good old days!

[@DrDavidThor]

That's what I was saying in one of my other comments: the human elders and the tree elders arise together. We need the wisdom of both elders.

[@JakeBor]

@@LoganJohnson-lm2bh mourn

[@seanvalentinus]

So what I’m hearing is, “because trees are nice and it’s nice to have one when you’re in a field.” Sounds like a perfectly good reason to me.

[@nikeyrawhide2873]

My great Grandfather who was a farmer all his life once told me (when I asked why there's a small shack in the middle of his farmland) that he uses it to take bathroom breaks, eat, rest, take a nap, plan a day's work, and many others. No wonder he's always looking fresh as a bee whenever he comes home at the end of the day. I'm sure he'd love to have had a tree, but a small shack that he built did just fine for him. Love you, Gramp..miss ya//

[@joegullette2680]

My grandfather who was the tobacco in corn farmer outside of Guthrie Kentucky not only had put a raised Vault grave that they plowed around every year it's still there

[@izzyplusplusplus1004]

That's a great idea.

[@kevinjenkins6986]

It’s where he took his side chick

[@nikeyrawhide2873]

@@kevinjenkins6986 Knowing how he was you probably right, lol..

[@kingofenglandthethir]

Little house on the prairie.

[@bluejay3333]

Thanks for acknowledging the lone tree in a large field. I’m 4 generation owner of our family farm in Michigan. Dad would tie the team of horses to the tree for his lunch break. Years later in the 60’s I would take a jug of freshly made lemon aid to Dad so he could take a break under the tree. On the back 40 we have a 250 year old oak tree which my great grandfather probably used. Many farms in our area have these large trees in the middle.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

Cool! When I was young, helping cultivate fields for my uncle, I would place my lunch and water jar under a tree to keep it cool. I’d sit under that tree and eat my lunch. I’ll never forget it.

[@pashaveres4629]

Loving the tree, your video, the comments. City boy here, from Washington, DC. From back in the day. Thought the reason for the tree would be for navigation, like living in sight of a mountain. No one mentioned that. Well, "a landmark" in the video. So many other wonderful reasons that never occurred to me, as it turns out.

[@Dude8718]

Man, my neighbor cut down a hugeeeee maple tree recently and the way it alters the visual scene I see is depressing. I miss it a lot. A lot of old trees have been cut down recently near me, for various reasons, and I really miss them and realize it would take 50 years before something could replace it completely. They're majestic old creatures. Keep that one. He's made it this long, and serves its purposes for you. I love that tree. That's a nice tree

[@Hayden.tablet]

Nothing makes me sadder than witnessing a beautiful old tree being cut down . I think about what history it has seen , the kids who played on it , the birds who had their babies in it and how it sways back and forth on a windy day . Please if you're a man who wants to show off your masculinity , find another way to show it other than cutting down a beautiful healthy tree .

[@MH3GL]

That feeling of loss is Mother Nature's way of reminding you of the energy connection between you and Her. That tree had a life force, and when it's gone, you feel it.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

If you can plant trees to help replace them, please do so. There are some charities you can donate to also, like the Arbor Day Foundation.

[@kiq4767]

​@@MH3GLbruh

[@vital1217]

I live in an apartment complex and they recently cut it down to the stump. The only tree on the property.

[@monikaw1179]

As a Polish woman living in the UK, I love your channel. I've seen trees in the middle of fields in many countries. What a lovely guy you are.

[@sljack1671]

My Papa had a 640 acre field that he used for hay. During the summers I would help him mow it with an old tractor and a brush hog. Just taking a single pass down the length of the field would take a while. We took turns. He parked his old 1950's Ford pickup under the tree. With the windows down it was very cool under that single tree. Grandmom would pack us a big container of ice water and some boiled eggs just to hold us over until lunch. At lunch time we would go to their house and have chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with cream gravy, black eyed peas (fresh from the garden) and biscuits! Then we would lay down for about an hour. Then head back to the field. Work until just before sun down. On the way back home we would stop at my Papa's friend's house. Sweet Johnson and his family grew watermelons and also sold plants and vegetables out of a huge garden. We would sit in the front yard eating watermelon, whittling and trading knives. It would cool down some and we would go on home to leftovers (the best) and peaches! Grandmom always had some kind of cake available. Her gravy was so good I wanted to put it on everything! Thanks for reminding me about that tree!!!!!!! It was the coolest spot around!

[@Drloew1]

Your story is so cool! So many people in the comments had an old memory come back to them. 😊

[@Hayden.tablet]

I love your good memories .

[@jdmarr2259]

That was so cool. Thank you for sharing.

[@ZippedUpKitz]

Holy smokes…. A 640 acre field? That’s a mile long each direction if it was a square! I have a 163 acre farm that has been in my family for 8 generations now with the birth of my nephew's child… my great great grandfather staked his claim to that land prior to the land run of 1889 here in Oklahoma … there are two HUGE pecan trees that stood in the middle of the field and a windmill was placed there along with a well that was dug… the wind mill would pump water into a large tank that was used to water the cattle that my great grand parents raised… another 160 acres was purchased across from the 163 my parents still live on … my uncle lives on that second 160 acre plot … when my mum and dad put their house out on our land, dad wanted to put it there by those pecan trees because that is where he played when he was a boy… it’s where I and my brothers played when we were children and it’s where our kids played too… those two pecan trees have stood there for more than 100 years… they were full grown in 1887 when my great great grandfather got the land…they still produce some of the best pecans I have ever had…

[@jeremyshelton9270]

So why the tree?

[@MrCheaterpipe]

A tree in the middle of a field can come in real handy if your tractor is stuck and have nothing else to winch from

[@Rick-ky6ih]

That's the reason why the farmers left it they would actually put the block and tackle to the tree and use the team of horses to pull out the stumps. Anchor tree

[@WideCuriosity]

You'd have to, coincidentally, get stuck near the tree, or have a very long chain.

[@Randomequestrian-pm4hl]

Old farmer's trick: leave the tractor stuck for a day or two while the weather dries out, and simply drive it out the field. Of course this only works if you haven't already behaved like a lunatic and bogged your tractor down fully. It also requires your weather to not behave like a lunatic. But otherwise it's the safest, easiest method without the risk of a winch cable breaking.

[@straybullitt]

I would be scared to death to winch to that tree! 😱 Did you see how hollow that it is??? 🤷‍♂️ That's the kind of tree🌳that barber chairs down on top of you when you are cutting it down! No thanks! I'd just keep it for shade and try not to get too fancy with it! 🤠

[@JimHerman-o3q]

@@WideCuriosity Or have a lot of trees in the middle of the field !

[@tiredluke129]

I grew up on a farm. Farmers are relentlessly practical, but they also generally have a love for nature. Even if a field tree didn't have a useful purpose, they'd likely still keep it up simply because they liked it.

[@ucrjedi]

Beauty and peace are purposes.

[@MH3GL]

Bingo!

[@mitchspurlock3626]

I wish the farmers near me felt this way. They remove tree lines and create miles and miles of flatland that stirs up dust when it gusts. Last year 9 people died near me in a highway pileup because of a farmers careless practices. He removed treelines and was plowing his field in 30 mph winds.

[@javiertorres9114]

I needed this video.. no politics and no stock market doom. Something simple.

[@kylemenos]

Did you know trees are fascist's? There you go back to normal now.

[@Michael9-23-15]

Well said

[@majorphillips399]

amen brother

[@DocJ58-OCB]

My Grandfather told me that the reason HE left a lone tree in the middle of one of his fields was because if there was a thunderstorm, or just a heavy rain, it gave him a place to sit and stay a bit drier than if he just had to sit on the tractor in the field... also, it gave him a place to climb up if a bear was in the field eating the corn...lmao... except, hmmmmm, lightening might strike the tree, and in that area, there are ONLY black bears, and THEY can climb trees... but that tree is still standing almost 110 years after that field was cleared in 1915, and I can still sit under it and think about my grampa.

[@Drloew1]

Cool story

[@whichDude]

Don't think going under a lone tree in the middle of an empty field is a good idea during a thunderstorm. It's the tallest thing around. A lightning rod. Not smart to hang near it.

[@DocJ58-OCB]

@@whichDude Better than sitting on the tractor in the MIDDLE of the feild...an All metal high point 🤣...

[@alvarodeoliveirafranco5855]

Actually sitting inside the tractor is safer than under the tree cause the tractor acts as a Faraday cage, if a lightning strike the tractor you should be fine inside it

[@stevebrankin9582]

🙏👁

[@simonh8931]

Very wierd that this randomly popped up on KZbin. I was driving my van round the Lake District, in England and stopped for a smoke. I noticed a big old tree in the middle of the field and asked myself the exact same question. Now I know 😃 The comments also offer a lot of interesting suggestions. Thanks 👍

[@Drloew1]

Yes, the comments could be made into a book of history. Thanks for leaving one.

[@jointgib]

similar thing happened to me here in Essex, England.

[@chrisking1457]

It's like when you say something and then it starts popping up on your phone. Only now we have ai so it reads your mind.

[@Drloew1]

@chrisking1457 everyone has said they were just talking/thinking about the single tree and this video came up!! 🤔 makes you wonder.

[@kybble]

Google is listening! And telling government what your saying.​@@chrisking1457

[@sherri25]

When I was growing up we had a tree we stood under shade waiting for bus and played under in afternoon. We called it The Tree. Everyone knew where The Tree was. I'm 61 and it's still there. Love your video.

[@Drloew1]

Thank you. I like your story also. This video comment section is awesome for other stories. You could read all of the comments for hours. ❤️🇺🇸

[@patrickgrippo]

One of the "pasture free" near jB in er,Pa.,survived by being a school play ground with kids playing under it,like the one in your text.

[@JoseLopez-gi9sf]

Why do I love that you started the video with you away from the camera. And slowly walking towards it. It was like i was going to start a five hour documentary on farming and trees. I love it.

[@Drloew1]

You’re not the first to notice that. It was an organic video. Never thought it would get this much attention. Thanks!!😊

[@stevemiller9211]

This brings back memories of visits to my Grandparents back in the 70's. There was a large field in front of their house with a single ancient oak in the center. One Sunday morning, I saw a herd of cows standing under the tree. I asked my Grandmother what they were doing. She just smiled and said "they're having church".

[@TeresaDeputy]

@@stevemiller9211 oh, I love when grandparents come up with stories like that, I miss being around my grandparents place.

[@abelis644]

😂😂😂

[@peppercat8718]

Cool story ❤

[@krazi77]

when I was around 6 years old, I asked my Grandpa if I could try some coffee. he said it would turn my eyes brown, and that he started coffee when he was my age. then leaned in the show me his brown eyes.

[@peppercat8718]

@@krazi77 😄💙

[@Tom.Livanos]

Not a farmer, never worked a farm, lived on a farm etc. City-dweller here, since birth. I also enjoyed this video.

[@dragonite87]

Same. It seems logical to me to have a big tree in the middle of a field. Animals often use them for shade.

[@vapormissile]

Amen. I grew up outdoors, but this is fresh. Positive waves, gang. 🎄🌴🎄

[@goldinthefurnace]

Pipe down city boy 🤠

[@vapormissile]

@@goldinthefurnace Get the mud outta your ear-holes, clod-hopper! 🙉😻

[@PongoXBongo]

It's similar to orienting yourself in the city by looking for the clocktower, church steeple, etc.

[@soggybottom3463]

As a forestry worker in a very hot climate, I'll take the shade argument 100 percent. God bless.

[@homeequityloan1746]

I've been a field-standing fan for as long as I can remember, and man, does this story hit the spot.

[@JayW0lf]

I live in MN and see massive oak trees randomly in fields. They look kinda majestic

[@TeresaDeputy]

@@JayW0lf they are beautiful old Friends

[@jeffchattin4799]

It’s a salute to the farmers that came before us. Our grandads switched out to a fresh team under those trees

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

Plus on a hot day it makes a good lunch spot.

[@unclrogPitcher]

yep, shade for the horses, still have them all over the flats

[@trevorroberts-o7q]

I could sit on a u shaped branch of a sycamore tree that grew in ny grandfather's hedge by the rodside and watch and talk to passers by. I was seven years old. He also gave me a cherry tree sapling to plant in our owm garden. That was also a long time ago. I am now nearly eighty and the last time I visited our old home they were both still growing. Now I'm the only member of our family left who remembers this and that still reminds me of my childhood days so thank you so very much for this video that took me back to those happy times. Take care and keep on posting more like this.

[@ZYX261]

Write down your stories for your children and grandchildren....

[@sirclark4405]

seriously, please do write down your stories because as a 19 yo growing up my interest toward my own family grew immensely and if your children grow to be anywhere near as prideful as me then they will love to hear all about the lives of their lineage

[@Yuriel1981]

Well just tug my dang heart out my chest why don't cha? Love this, I hope you still get to visit that place often.

[@Prodmullefc]

It's crazy to me as a modern, thinking that a seven year old could spend their days talking to strangers and grow up to have no bad experiences with it just one hundred years ago. What a nice world that must have been.

[@gwengwen4535]

I love this account of your childhood- I am an old soul who longs for the old ways and there are many people like me, so if you ever feel discouraged about how the world has changed, just know that we haven’t forgotten, many of us know true history and the grit it took to build a good life. God bless you friend🙏🏻💗

[@CringyGull]

Thank you for this information, ill make sure to keep more trees in the middle of my life

[@mattbrown5511]

My great grandfather moved to America in the 1860s (different paperwork give conflicting dates). He worked for 10 years for a farmer in northern Indiana. At the end of those 10 years, the farmer he worked for gifted him 25 acres and some livestock. The day he got the deed back for his new farm, he and his family plated a White Oak dead middle of the land. That tree still stands to this day. Makes one ponder on the past and the future.

[@Drloew1]

That’s so cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@dannichols6261]

It sounds to me like he planted that tree to mark the date that as a land owner he felt like he had really arrived.

[@cavgrey8]

What a lovely legacy

[@Moose803]

There ain't no way that tree is still alive. 😅

[@mattbrown5511]

@@Moose803 Wow, did you ever miss the point.

[@TomSmith-ls5rn]

I grew up in Idaho. The farmer's there did the same thing. It was for shade and was a bell weather for the health of the field and monitor soil quality. Great channel and video, thank you!

[@beverlyhill9947]

YOUR INFORMATION WAS SO SPECIAL, SO VALUABLE! THANK YOU KINDLY, FOR SHARING...YOU TAUGHT ME SOMETHING SPECIAL IN YOUR POST! BLESSINGS, TOM...(MY SWEET BROTHER IS TOM ALSO)...

[@viperdemonz-jenkins]

yea get hot as hell over here is good to have that shade tree.

[@johnnytoronto1066]

My wife is an Irish farm girl, born and raised on a small farm in County Derry. In the middle of their field stands the fairy tree, home to the little people, and you don't dare mess with it. Yes, there are some big rocks all around it. There are stories of farmers who pulled a branch off their fairy tree and the next day the sow died, etc. etc., You will see these fairy trees all over Ireland. Cheers, and thanks for this video, which I found very interesting.

[@WhiteWolfBlackStar]

Same with large rocks in Iceland. They’ll build the road around it, rather than mess with the faire folks!

[@beverlyhill9947]

@@WhiteWolfBlackStar THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF ICELAND...

[@beverlyhill9947]

VERY SWEET STORY.

[@omggiiirl2077]

I was looking for this comment! The tree in the field is sacred to the little people, and spirits of the land and that is where they live, and so is the land around it. You don't go messing around that tree. You don't litter, but you can go and take shade, and refuge, just be respectful, and occasionally leave a gift. And if you need anything they can help you! But if you cross them, your life can be hell. It's also a place for nature rituals, and communication with nature. My people are farmers from Oklahoma and Tennessee and the deep south, and this is old country knowledge. And if you are lucky enough to have your sacred tree near a creek canal or stream it's even better! Leaving candies fruits, liquor tobacco as offerings can help with making peace with the little people, and spirits of nature. I know people used colorful ribbons, and ropes, and stacked stones, and used wind chimes and bells hung on branches to communicate with the land spirits. All I know is that you tread carefully when on a farm and you see a lone tree or a stone out of place.

[@angelsordemons]

​@@omggiiirl2077 Superstition eh.

[@MarkPayne-k7l]

Pedant that I am as I grow older, I would like to add a further comment (earlier that would be Thomas Paine of course, same derivation whether with or without the "e" at the end), in addition to saying that nearly 7,000 comments is an excellent achievement and a testimony to the timeless appeal of the subject matter which still touches an emotional core for most of us. In the "Middle Ages" in my country, England as was, solitary trees growing on a slight rise or eminence were used commonly as village meeting places, aside from their religious connotations. They were known as the moots or moot places, from which the expression a moot point comes from. The villagers would gather to discuss matters of local importance and generally chew the fat with each other, much as later they did so and still do in village halls. And, of course, our many pubs. I, as an Englishman, cannot say whether this extended into Puritan and later New England, but I would be surprised (and would welcome comments on this from your side of the Atlantic) if it did not do so - at least until formal meeting house buildings were constructed. Two subsidiary points. The first, which detracts somewhat from the romance that we all hold for large solitary trees, they were also places of execution in England for several thousand years - and not just by means of a rope. As an aside, were the Salem witch trials or rather the hangings conducted at such a spot or spots? The second is that the word moot comes from the Norman word Motte, which also meant a mound, with or without a tree, as in Motte-and-Bailey castles constructed on an artificial mound, with a timber pallisade and surrounded by a ditch, from which the material used to make the motte had come from. To this day, the UK and especially English, countryside is full of such earthworks, now typically hosting not just one self-sprouted tree but a clump of them. They are still impossibly atmospheric places. To my many American friends also watching this great video and making their own postings, I apologize for the lecture but hope some may find it of passing interest.

[@markpashia7067]

Sixty years ago when I was ten I worked as day labor on a farm. They had a tree at the junction of four fields and the farmer's wife would drop lunch there for the crew, we kept several gallon jugs of cool well water in the shade wrapped in a damp burlap bag. We had lunch at that tree. Nothing was better than that shade in the middle of a ten hour day picking string beans. And that cheese sandwich on white bread was better than gourmet food when you were that hungry. With mustard since mayo was dangerous in the heat.

[@Estes705]

Love the details of your history with farming! I miss those days!

[@beverlyhill9947]

@@Estes705 I ECHO YOUR SENTIMENTS...WE NEED TO KEEP MEMORIES/STORIES LIKE THIS ALIVE AS LONG AS WE CAN! I MISS THOSE DAYS TOO...IN THE FARMLAND IN MISSISSIPPI...(WHERE MY MOMMA GREW UP) MEMORIES OF THE FAMILY GARDEN OF THE GORDONS, THE CATTLE IN THE FIELD, THE COUNTRY FOOD THAT WAS SO GOOD. THE FIREPLACE IN THE SMALL SITTING AREA IN MY GRANPARENTS HUMBLE HOME, THE STORIES SHARED, THE LOVE AND MEMORIES THAT WILL LIVE ON IN MY HEART AS LONG AS I AM ON THIS GOOD EARTH.

[@beverlyhill9947]

MARK, HOW I LOVED READING YOUR WORDS ABOUT YOUR YOUNG LIFE. THIS STORY NEEDS TO BE PASSED ON, MARK. I HOPE YOU HAVE SHARED IT WITH FAMILY/FRIENDS, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH ALL OF US...FROM ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. MY MOST LOVELY MEMORIES ARE OF MISSISSIPPI. A GIRL FROM CONNECTICUT, THAT LEARNED A LOT ABOUT COUTNRY FOLK.

[@jimmyschmidt14]

I left a jug of water under a tree and when i came back the next day it was very warm water. Amazing how much heat still gets through a tree. Those tips you said probably do make a world a difference at keeping it cool.

[@thisbushnell2012]

@@jimmyschmidt14 Temperature difference between sitting in the sun or in the shade of a mature oak ranges from 20 degree difference up to 40. (Tested it today to confirm what Uncle Kenneth told us.)

[@kevindecoteau3186]

I appreciate the story. I retired about a year ago at 65. Since then I have been slowly as the Lord has guided me, I've been preparing for my end, made arrangements for my own cremation when the time comes. I've told my daughter where to put my ashes, at the base of an old tree in the middle of the field I used to live close to. I figured the tree would mark the spot.

[@beverlyhill9947]

KEVIN, YOUR STORY IS VERY LOVELY. YOU ARE A WISE MAN TO PREPARE ARRANGEMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER. SO PROUD THAT YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF THE BUSINESS OF LIVING. YOUR FAMILY IS SO BLESSED TO HAVE THAT TAKEN CARE OF AND BY YOU...THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO WONDER/STRESS OVER...WHAT YOU MIGHT WANT...INSTEAD, IT WILL ALL BE DONE FOR THEM! A BLESSING! I LOVE THAT THE TREE WOULD MARK THE SPOT FOR YOU! THAT IS SO VERY LOVELY AND DEEP...GOD BLESS YOU WITH THE PEACE THAT PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING...IN JESUS...BEV~~

[@Cal-zk4nc]

65 a year ago? What's the rush bubba? Many folks these days like into their 80s and 90s! You are not old!

[@ikeameltdown8012]

@@Cal-zk4nche is not young though. And realistic. Don't be foolish.

[@Curtis1984]

Please reconsider cremation, I think it's a bad idea personally. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and [I pray God] your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul in that verse could be mentioning the "new body" we as believers will receive at His coming.. but I think it will be our existing body but only refreshed and glorified like the risen Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. 1 John 3:2 (KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. Just something to think about, you have liberty to do as you wish.. 1 Cor. 15 also makes remarks about the body. God bless.

[@Edmond951]

But just remember Kevin. Even trees die

[@allwomn1]

"I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed, against the earth's sweet flowing breast" Thank you for your story it reminded me of this poem for some reason.

[@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753]

I remember learning this poem and the second grade and it was always my favorite. We list on at least three acres and had one tree in our front yard that was climbable, and I loved getting up in that tree to look around the landscape. When I got older, I realized I like living on the second floor have an apartment building, and then later having my bedroom on a second floor, up in the trees and looking around! I should look up this poem again and relearn it because I'm 71 now and I've forgotten the rest of it. While I'm on the subject, may I urge you to become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation... So many people are whacking the tops off of their trees and ruining them-- even companies that call themselves arborists! That is not an acceptable way to prune ANY tree. It only opens them up to disease. 😢

[@lesliemergenthal75]

@@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753 Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.

[@davidmirandajr]

That's perverse

[@davidmirandajr]

Man made a sucking a teet analogy romantic

[@allwomn1]

@@davidmirandajr it's not perverse, only a foul mind with foul thoughts would perceive it that way, I feel sorry for you.

[@invisiblejaguar1]

I live in Devon in the UK and there's a field on the edge of a forest trail that has a tree in the middle of the field, much like this one. Not sure if it's just a me thing, but there's something about the sight of it that brings me comfort and calmness. I'm writing this comment in December, but it was probably around six months ago when I went back to that field to see the tree again. It was proving difficult to remember where the tree was and it took a while, but I found it. I felt achieved when I did find it and took a little time to sit under it and take in the liminal atmosphere.

[@marbellaotaiza801]

This might be the most wholesome video not including cats that I've seen on KZbin today. Kudos!

[@Drloew1]

Thank you 😊

[@angelmartin7310]

I'm creeped out that YT has gotten this good at reading my mind. I asked this question in my own mind a few days ago.

[@Drloew1]

@angelmartin7310 so many people have said the exact same thing!!

[@dtropolopicus3602]

" I think that shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree......."

[@williammach9127]

Joyce Kilmer

[@patriciastaton6182]

🎉❤🎉

[@beverlyhill9947]

WOW, THAT IS SO BRILLIANT...I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS FAMOUS POEM...THANKS! I AM GOING TO LOOK IT UP...BLESSINGS...I WONDER IF THE YOUNG GENERATION UNDERSTANDS SUCH A POEM, OR EVEN HAS HEARD ABOUT IT? A SAD REALITY PROBABLY...

[@hyacinth4368]

Joyce Kilmer, American poet, killed in France in WWI. I thought he was a woman, until I looked up info on him, because of another of his poems- The House with Nobody In It.

[@cattymajiv]

@@beverlyhill9947 This is a better post. But you really have to stop screaming at people.

[@snowmonster42]

I have always wondered about this. The fact that there are a bunch of reasons to leave it just makes it better. Also, that tree is just beautiful.

[@jdos5643]

In high heat places that tree is a cool spot. The temperature below it is a relief to anyone out in the sun.

[@Марта-й7е]

Вълнуващо е, че по повод на дървото прочетох за много човешки истории, свързани с темата. Стана ми хубаво. И аз съм си задавала въпроса за предназначението му. Благодаря и поздрави от България!

[@Марта-й7е]

Едно дърво - кестен, което е поне на 110 години, обгръща прозорците на къщата ми. През пролетта, лятото и есента се чувствам като птичка в листата на клоните му. Не си представям то да загине, поне докато съм жива.❤

[@martabachynsky8545]

Before watching the video, two guesses from a city-dweller: 1) It's a place for workers to rest in the shade while working in the field (before tractors). 2) It's a place for livestock to rest in the shade.

[@Proudamerican329]

Yes! I live in farm country asnd cows are always gathered under those single trees. Also...downside...lightning does hit those trees and some poor cows have met their demise under those trees during storms. :(

[@recoveringsoul755]

Erosion control in heavy rains also

[@SunriseLAW]

Often, it is a place for livestock to get electrocuted during lightning storms.

[@chuckinhouston9952]

Both true

[@kerrynicholls6683]

I was thinking the second one. If it isn’t for that reason, I will say swear words, swear words and a few more swear words. Bloody farmers, I actually can’t say that, because my extended family is basically all farmers. Love ❤️ from Australia 🇦🇺

[@warrenlucier5796]

During the 1920's major surveys were done in the US and I owned some agricultural property in Florida which has a cypress tree that is close to 150' in height today and was a sapling back then. When I sold the property to someone else I had a discussion about that tree with them and they said don't worry the tree is protected.

[@billstidams6658]

Indiana here.. my father would tell stories of his mom and sisters showing up at the shade tree with picnic lunches at about noon.. everybody would drop everything and head for the lemonade and fried chicken! Cutting tobacco or bailing hay or planting beans or corn.. you could always count on a good meal and couple hours sleep to let the mid day heat pass under that tree.. then work till dark.. different times back then

[@Preston241]

In my area, a lone tree in a field often means there’s remnants of an old farmhouse under it. On the open prairies, it wasn’t uncommon for settlers to plant a tree beside their homestead to "spruce" up the place, so to speak.

[@yankeecornbread8464]

Nothing is more beautiful than to see such a tree or even a small grove of trees in a field or at a crossroad on the plain. As a boy I walked to a grove of trees in the middle of a cultivated field, and they marked a tiny old cemetery

[@auntmemeintennessee8033]

My Appalachian Mountain Family (my grandfather and great grandfather, especially) had a tree in the middle of every field. There were many advantages to this, another very important reason being that they had very large families and all of them had to work all day (during the harvest season especially). The tree provided shade for the babies and smaller children to be placed on a quilt and tended to by some of the “older” sisters, who were considered old enough to watch the babies but not quite big enough to do work of any significance. My mother told me that she and her sister’s task was watching the 3 babies and toddlers while they worked in the field. She was only about 5, her sister about 7, watching their younger brothers, ages baby, age 2, and age 4 (there were 12 children total). This way my grandmother could still see and be near them, but still work in the fields. Everyone worked, especially during harvest time! Also, they took their breaks underneath the tree and ate their lunch there, without having to go all the way back to the house (Mama said it was usually leftover breakfast biscuits with jelly, apples and/or grapes from their farm, and sometimes homemade dried beef jerky.). It also provided temporary shelter if a sudden rainstorm came up (if not too heavy). Everyone scrambled to get under three, enjoying the extra break, but heading right back out to the fields as soon as the rain stopped, or became just a sprinkle. We did this when I was a kid, too, except we didn’t take the babies out with us. It was hard work, but the best life, ever!

[@Drloew1]

This is the best story in the comments. Makes perfect sense.

[@teen_laqueefa]

​@@Drloew1man I love you, the content is top shelf

[@Drloew1]

@teen_laqueefa Thanks. Check out all the other loew quality videos 😊

[@ivyp583]

I love this video! I remember sitting under the one lone tree when I was a toddler. He plowed and tilled with horse drawn equipment. My job was to guard the lunch Grammie had made for us to share. I'm 76 yo.

[@Greg_M1]

I especially enjoyed this video and your commentary. Your points about why some farmers don't cut down certain trees are solid and illuminating for us folk that grew up urban, though (in my case) are now very much rural and prefer it. One reason you didn't mention is that that green tree and it's massiveness and greenness evoke peaceful thoughts, reflection on the past --- like you said, if this tree could talk about what it's seen. And though it may be a mixed blessing, trees are the homes of much wildlife. I watch, study and feed birds, so I'd have a field day (or years, actually) getting to know precisely what creatures occupy that tree. Consider putting out a wildlife cam or two which monitor the tree from a couple sides... will blow you away what you discover. I've done that and will never not have wildlife cams on my living ground. Well done, amigo. Keep the tree forever. Of course, it may be less than 50 more years before the tree dies, just a wild slightly educated guess. That hollowing out inside is an early-ish phase of that process. 👍🌳

[@Drloew1]

Thanks for the great comment. I’ve already treated the tree for the ants and termites. The comments of this video are something to behold. There’s so much wisdom.

[@JenniferArbach49]

We bought a field years ago and yes, there was a tree in the middle surrounded by rocks. We rearranged the rocks into a wall enclosure, added a picnic table and the "rock pit" was our favorite place to hang out.

[@Drloew1]

Cool. Great memories

[@bestkitchenreviews6346]

My house backs onto 100 acre farm field, with an almost identical tree. Actually, the farmer left a few large trees, here and there. It makes for such a beautiful view for us!

[@karabean]

Trees also protect the water table. I live in Missouri and almost every farm has trees growing around and sometimes in the middle of their plots. I love it here!

[@beverlyhill9947]

EXCELLENT ENGINEERING THOUGHT!

[@andrewnail583]

That was my guess as well!

[@larrynoe6162]

Yes a lot of underground aqua firms and rivers in those cave systems.

[@CassieRoseX89X]

I love your hair ❤

[@karabean]

@@CassieRoseX89X You're so sweet! Thank you ❤

[@nicoleh3703]

This is probably the most wholesome video I've seen in a while. I'm a huge fan of the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas, and this sounds exactly like something I would have seen in an episode! Thanks for making me smile!

[@Drloew1]

You’re welcome!

[@rhodapaige3895]

My grandfather was born in 1894. He told my dad that they only had horses or mules. They would tie a rope to the a tree, wrap the rope around another tree, and then to the horse. That made it easier to uproot the tree. They did that all over the field until there was only one tree left.

[@roberthutchins3435]

Yerr ,Nap

[@jimbeaurama]

Heard this too.

[@youreoffended...imlaughing4628]

This is the exact reason my papa told me that my great grandad had a singular tree in the middle of their six fields. My family ended up having to sell that land when I was young and the corporation who owns it now eventually cut those historical trees down and turned the 250 year old farm into nearly 400 acres of inefficient solar panel eyesores. Commie climate cultists are locusts.

[@Singlesix6]

Have you ever tried to uproot a grown tree? Not even a huge or a large tree, but not a little sapling either. It is not easy, even with one horsepower. You can't pull one over with a diesel truck either.

[@Drloew1]

@Singlesix6 and I can’t even imagine a rope over 100 years ago strong enough to do that. We break chains nowadays, big chains.

[@elijahpostdc]

What a pretty tree. I’m glad it’s here and I’m glad you’re here.

[@MopBucket1014]

I’m glad you are here as well. It feels good knowing a video of something as beautiful as that tree can bring great people together

[@user-CAB]

I grew up on a farm and the two fields had those trees. One was surrounded by the huge rocks. The other field was beside the orchard and the tree there was an apple tree with the most amazingly sweet and delicious apples you’d ever hope to taste! I never thought to ask in all those years why the trees were there. Thanks for this video.

[@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753]

We don't need to ask why, we just should enjoy and be thankful!❤

[@pault7135]

So glad you shared this info. I grew up in the city and went to law school in a small rural town of 5,000 people. On my long drives back to school, I often wondered about the random trees I saw in the middle of cornfields. One day in property class we were talking about how people measure property and property lines. Many times its about locating a metal pin placed into the ground somewhere and measuring from that point. I asked the professor if those random trees could have been used as a reference point to measure property to which he laughed and poked fun at me for my question.....lol, dunno, thought it was a legit question.....I also wondered if it was a place to rest for farmers long ago tilling a field, or thought it could be a good place for a bee hive to pollinate crops....regardless, appreciate the information and learning more.

[@Obxcape]

My father in law was a land surveyor and he mentioned one day that a cedar tree(s) in a farmed field would often be a marker for a family grave site. Now, out of habit, I look for a lonely cedar tree in a field as I pass on by.

[@Thestargazer56]

My granddaddy was also a surveyor and I used to pull the chain for him as a boy. Often on old land maps the survey would use a tree as property benchmark. We had to get our farm surveyed after my dad passed. All the old oak trees and longleaf pines used as markers on the plat were gone. It took nearly 4 months to get a walking surveyor on a 1000 acre farm and woods.

[@glfeezel2460]

I do genealogy, so I've visited a lot of old graveyards out in farm country. I learned early on once you're close to where the cemetery should be just look for the cedars

[@Maaaattologyyyy]

Sounds like a metaphor or something. Perhaps the big old trees are elder family members

[@bobsmoot2392]

My family still has the same land our ancestors cleared, farmed, and lived on since the early 1800s ( NW Ohio). Way out in the field, West of the farmhouse, was a HUGE elm tree, with two main branches strtching up and out to the sky. Almost looked Iike arms stretched up in praise. The sunsets, behind that magnificat tree were incredibly beautiful. You could see them from the kitchen window, while washing the supper dishes. Sitting on the back porch and just soaking it al in, was a favorite, quiet time of reflection and awe for God's green Earth. That old tree, old friend, lost one of its great arms to lightening some time in the 1980s. It lost it's symmetry, but not its admiration. In the early 2000s, it was hit by lightening again and finished its time on Earth. I miss that old tree, its magnificent silhouette, and those quiet times, in a simpler world.

[@Drloew1]

Good story. Thanks

[@lemmdus2119]

Did you use the wood to make something with it? Some people will use the wood from a family tree like that to make a kitchen or dining room table.

[@bobsmoot2392]

@@Drloew1 Didn't make anything out of the old elm. The new kitchen cabinets were made of Red Oak from our woods nearby. The house has grown and changed over the generations, from a simple log cabin (hand hewn oak) with a sleeping loft, to the 4 bedroom (2 story) farmhouse it is today. All of the beams in the basement are very thick, hewn oak. There's a ruff/heavy slab door in the basement that opens to a small adobe type room with old milk cans, earthen jugs and pickle urns in it. When we were kids, playing in the basement, we laughed at the adobe type stairs going up to the sealed off floor above. We said, "Grandma, some idiot built stairs to nowhere". She told us that the little room was the old root cellar and the kitchen above was the original cabin with a loft. There was a trap door in the kitchen floor, with a rug over it, that was used to hide the women and children, when hostile Indians came around. There were no windows in the cabin, just small gun ports that the men shot from. Sometimes a woman stayed up in the cabin, to load the rifles, when needed. We were stunned, having no idea of what our ancestors endured to hack a farm out of the wilderness.

[@beverlyhill9947]

BOB, WHAT A MOST PERFECTLY LOVELY REALITY! I WAS SO CAPTIVATED INTO A WORLD THAT SEEMED SO MUCH MORE PEACEFUL AND CARING AS I READ YOUR STORY~~THANKS FOR SHARING. MY MOMMA GREW UP IN MISSISSIPPI, IN THE COUNTRY FOR SURE! MY GRANDMOTHER DECORATED HER COUNTRY MAILBOX, BY THE SIDE OF THE DIRT ROAD...(THAT I STILL LOVE) AND I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUCH A SWEET IDEA AS A LITTLE GIRL. I RECALL HER BISCUITS, SWEET ICED TEA, AND MUCH MORE. ALSO, THE FIREWORKS ON THE 4th. MY GRANDPARENTS ARE GONE, MY MOMMA (AND DAD) ARE GONE...NO ONE LIVES IN THEIR HOME IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS OWNED BY A FORMER NEIGHBOR...BUT NOT SURE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR TREE STORY. IT FELT SO LOVING AND WARM...BEAUTIFUL...BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS...A COUNTRY GIRL AT HEART...(FROM VA)~~

[@angie.alexander]

​@@bobsmoot2392 wow. That's amazing that you could actually live and play in the middle of history!

[@gillTrucker]

I like to add about the Trees in the fields.my great granddaddy had 400 acre’s he farmed. Mostly by himself in Tennessee he had 4 big trees and I have anyways been told he used them as field markers. To Divide different crops and to this day only two of the trees are still there but you can tell where the other two were, with the big piles of rocks etc

[@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753]

Hey, my grandpa grew up on a farm near Athens Tennessee. Where was yours?

[@gillTrucker]

@@yvetteandjorgenlarsen9753 Bruceton Tenn. And my dad and a cousin. Play on part of the property I live in Michigan now and have a 20×20 garden and 9 chicken. Lol all my family live down home.

[@barbaradoye1989]

Long ago, when those of the Presbyterian faith (AKA Quakers) buried their loved ones, they didn't believe in a big "send off". They would often bury their dead without a headstone. Instead, they would bury their loved ones near a natural landmark or plant a tree as a marker. Often, they would bury their loved ones amongst their crops under a tree. It is not uncommon to see a small family graveyard under these stately trees today. I love passing by and seeing the, oftentimes, carefully manicured plots of extended family or, in some cases, a family of no relation at all being paid homage by the current farmer. It is a sign to me of the morals and values the current farmer working the land has. It is beautiful and not often spoken about. The best judge of character is how someone acts when they think no one is looking. Thank you for sharing! I really enjoyed this video! I learned a thing or two! Take care!😀

[@Drloew1]

Thanks for the comment!

[@CrabRango]

I really admire that the tree isn't all about practicality, either. It's just nice, and it's not hurting anyone by being there (only helping, if anything!), so that's good enough. :)

[@davidtyler3116]

My house deed originally said the end of my property was at the big Oak tree where Mr. Engelhard shot the big brown bear! Love this video.

[@Drloew1]

That’s awesome!!! Frame that.

[@annewalker1830]

Love this story!

[@brianhoxworth3881]

Worked on my uncle's farm in Southern Missouri for a summer back in the 80s. Most of the single trees were pecan. Not only great for shade, in the fall you get tons of pecans.

[@sonsetmefreer]

Have a single tree in my field in Missouri and it’s a black walnut.

[@DrDavidThor]

My parents had a house in Waco in a neighborhood that deteriorated so much they practically gave it away. But the real value of that place in an old working-class neighborhood is that it was a quarter acre of big ole pecans. I miss them.

[@marcuscicero9587]

was walking some woods in Southern Illinois a long time back with a guy from the area. a strong breeze started up and I heard a lot of clicking. asked the guy what was goin on and he told me pecan trees. never forgot that

[@marknorthrup4897]

I always thought of those trees as "grave trees" that a loved one had been buried under. Thanks for adding to this idea.

[@J8n3eyr3]

The one in my neighbor's field marks the family cemetery.

[@marknorthrup4897]

@@J8n3eyr3 just guessing that they weren't all hit by lightning, aye?

[@kristeneichhorn6913]

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[@furgler100]

There’s one In Wisconsin,along new Highway 10, near Junction City, and we always honk and wave at the “Lonely Tree” as we go by! 😊. Saluting our farm heritage, and all!!

[@CynVee]

It's a lovely tree. Thanks for leaving it for generations to enjoy. Bless ya'all.

[@martinthorogood6223]

I wonder what tales that tree could tell if it could talk ?......

[@bobanmilisavljevic420]

​@@martinthorogood6223probably heard the farmer clapping his wife's cheeks under that tree

[@funnyfarm5555]

This story has been passed down through the generations. My great great grandfather lived in Montana. All of his neighbors tried to convince him to sell all the timber off his property because the market was good. He told them all no. He told them if you cut down all the trees, the water supply will go away. His neighbors cut and sold their trees. The only place with water after that was my great great grandfather. Where I live, the neighbor told me when I told him I wanted to plant more trees on our property that the ash trees we have here can suck 300 gallons of water out of the ground every day and I should not do it as it would lower to water table. We have a part of our property that is wetlands and there are naturally seeded ash trees growing about. Right now the water table is very high in the pasture and the tractor tires get wet when mowing down the invasive canary grass. I have visited my inlaws farm in SW Oklahoma and see the cedar windbreak rows of trees. There I was told and saw that the trees sucked the moisture out of the ground a certain distance into the field limiting the area being able to be planted to crops. At least the soils is staying put.

[@tonybullion2537]

That tree is a Cathedral. In England a thousand years or so ago Churches were a way of orientating when travelling on foot or horseback through the countryside. A Church or Abbey was somewhere one could seek shelter if needed. That tree performs the same function and is a splendid example, thanks for the video.

[@veronicagee4335]

My great great grandparents on my mom's side settled on a section of land in Manitoba in the 1870's. When my great grandmother was a small child she told her dad that he had to leave a particular tree that was in one of the fields they were clearing alone. I don't know her reason, but she was adamant that it be left standing. It was the only tree left standing and it's still standing alone there today. I love when I go past the old homestead and see it.

[@abelis644]

I grew up in Winnipeg. When I left for BC I passed that huge tree off the South side of the #1 going West towards Portage, near the White Horse statue. Somehow it tugged at my heart strings to see it. And I'd see it when I came back. I loved that tree! I hope it's still these. BC trees are spectacular!!! 👋🇨🇦🌠

[@CaptZenPetabyte]

Here in Australia the other reason why farmers leave the trees up (a single tree or a close set of trees) is as a natural lightening rod for an open field

[@gfreeman9843]

If you see an old tree with spreading branches from low down,if it's older than say 220 years it grew without competing for light as a result of aboriginal management. Naturally seeded forest grows thick so trees grow up for the light..bit off topic 😂. Lots of reasons to have trees.❤

[@Crawldragon]

Most people, if they haven't had Amish neighbors, they don't think about how long it actually takes to walk the length of a farmer's field without motorized equipment. It still takes a while even with motorized equipment. Giving yourself a good stopping point to have lunch and cool down is just the logical thing to do. Besides, trees are nice.

[@michaelsmith-yd9tq]

There was a big cedar tree on the side of my childhood home. I climbed every inch of it, built several forts in it, I thought of it as a friend, I LOVED that tree

[@samday6621]

In Australia farmers are planting groups of trees, usually along fence lines. These contain local species plants, trees and understory shrubs. They not only work as a windbreak and shelter for stock, but they beneficial to soil, reduce salinity but more importantly they are joining corridor for wildlife. Many birds, insects and small vertebrates (like Koalas) in Australia have small areas where the specific plants they live in or find food/nectar live. Farms can be vast monocultures and devastating to some ecosystems. Farmers access a group called Landcare, who supply knowledge, trees and labour to help establish these corridors and help revive land.

[@PhilLesh69]

The deep roots draw minerals from far deeper than the surrounding crops. There are soil revitalization benefits from the leaves they drop, the roots help to support microbiomes in the soil, and they help to regulate the immediate surrounding microclimate. They use prairie grasses and trees to revitalize spent farmland. Similar to how they can add nitrogen to soil between growing seasons by planting beans or other nitrogen fixing crops, but on a longer timescale.

[@larrycutting4514]

Where I grew up in Southern Colorado, we used to hunt pheasants. There aren't any pheasants anymore due to the "modern" methods of not leaving coverage along the fences. Most fences have been removed to allow for more acreage of crops.

[@Objectified]

Maintaining windbreaks and shelterbelts is common in the U.S., although they aren't always readily visible on the farmland most people see from the roadways they drive across the country. Polyculture farming is gaining momentum in the U.S., as it is in Europe. Australia may be further ahead in terms of the percentage of farmland employing some form of polyculture techniques, but data and definition differences make it hard to draw strong comparisons. In the U.S. many universities with agriculture schools operate some form of cooperative extension that work with farmers on all issues related to agriculture, and can help advise on the adoption of polyculture techniques.

[@samday6621]

@@Objectified The Landcare program is optional in Australia, so there is broad spectrum of farming techniques employed across the country.

[@1bowmaniam]

In much of the country, there used to be hedge rows, forests, and native grass edges around all the fields. Today they decimate every inch, from fence to fence. It breaks my heart to see the total destruction of wildlife habitat. Looks like a moonscape for half the year. Bless you for leaving that amazing tree.

[@tbjtbj4786]

Nope I still have headgrows Stopps out side chemical drift. Don't know or want what the nabor spray drifting over. Our crops are completely different.

[@ct3po776]

Now all that habitat, including whole mountains, are covered with solar panels instead of forests, or farms for food!

[@DrDavidThor]

Yeah it's sad. And the saddest spectacle of all is how gleefully Mennonites and Amish people so often join in the destruction when they should know better. In Pennsylvania and in southern Ontario I've often seen them destroying hedge rows, forests, grass borders. If the Amish can't respect those borders, what are the chances for the rest of us? But good always arises. In England the destruction of the hedge rows led to men losing their small plots, becoming "masterless," without feudal connection. And that led to--drum roll--Robin Hood. And all the Robin Hoods. For thirty years, through many lost gardens, I've called myself a masterless man. That and I haven't voted in 65 years. --I am Thor, but you may call me Robin.

[@georgesakellaropoulos8162]

It's played havoc with the Bobwhite population.

[@elultimo102]

@@tbjtbj4786 ----I wish there was a long tall hedge row along my western barbed wire, just to block the winds. Too late for me to plant them.

[@PaulaZF]

My dad was a semi professional photographer. He loved to take photos of lone trees. He left us a lot of beautiful photos of single trees. Those trees have appreciated by a lot of people.

[@m.hernandez1404]

As a birder, my guess was as a perch for hawks and owls to help control rodents. As a poet, the tree is an island.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

No man is a Ireland...........Andy Capp

[@GregMoress]

And all the other birds that eat insects like grasshoppers, etc.

[@shannonbennett5692]

Stubbed my toe on cringe...as an artist.

[@erikaquatsch2190]

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, I know nothing about farming except the reports on the radio about "barrows and gilts," of which I didn't know what was meant other than some sort of farm animal. I have seen these large trees in the fields, and my 3-second attention to them had me guess they are there for orientation. But I'm so glad you devoted a video to these lone, but stately trees. I can now appreciate not only their usefulness, but their honorable service as a witness; a witness to mankind's toiling, a witness to mankind's hope.

[@beverlyhill9947]

ERIK...WOW! YOU HAVE THE HEART AND MIND OF A POETIC, A PERSON THAT APPRECIATES HISTORY AND COUNTRY-LIFE, AND GOD'S CREATIONS...THANKS FOR SHARING! BLESSINGS TO YOU AND YOURS, FROM VA~~

[@jasonshald1912]

In western Nebraska they often mark tree claims. My Dad multiple times helped very old people find lone trees out on a place so they could see what was left of the old homestead they grew up on one last time before dying. He planted a bunch of trees with me when I was a child. We lost him last year. Now when I see any of the trees we planted together it brings a flood of memories.

[@deedoyle4069]

Well said *!*

[@erikaquatsch2190]

@@jasonshald1912 🥲Your father and you are Good People.

[@MH3GL]

The best part about this video: The comments section - full of wonderful old age stories that remind me of my child hood. Thanks for planting seed that helped it grow. 😎👌

[@michaelknapp8961]

I wondered about this my whole life. Some of these trees can be gigantic and have been in the middle of the field for over a century or so. Why cut it down? Just leave it for a good place to stay cool in summertime. Good video.

[@Drloew1]

Thanks

[@merryanneadair4451]

The farm I live on belongs to my brother now. I remember the family who owned it when I was a child. It had been in that family for several generations. One generation had raised Belgian draft horses & the gentleman had drilled a well in the middle of the large fields so he could stop to water his teams while farming. Great video, beautiful memories, thank you! God bless!

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

That tree has its own finely tuned ecosystem, it’s a beautiful thing.

[@sethgross3904]

Without knowing what kinda of farming/ soil care done in the area; I wonder if the only soil with a living fungal presence in that area contains that tree?

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

@@sethgross3904 what are you trying to say? The surrounding soil supports all that too. My concern is whether all the soil still contains the trace elements and minerals anymore. I need to educate myself on that. Maybe that’s up to the corporations that own all this.

[@sethgross3904]

@@MarkSmith-js2pu it was more of a curiosity. Tilling, compacting and salt based fertilizers kills the microbiome in the soil, but that patch with the tree has sat untouched for years. I just winder the difference in the soils.

[@97itachiuchiha]

@@MarkSmith-js2pu Even if the soil still has trace elements and minerals, a lot of that being absorbed by plants is dependent on the soil microbiome being healthy.

[@MarkSmith-js2pu]

@@97itachiuchiha we agree

[@rosebud-ame]

I’m a City gal and I’ve always wondered about the lone tree in a field for years. It’s great that I just found this blog. Thank you!

[@teenastetic3681]

I LOVE FARMERS! Thank you

[@ginger6582]

My aunt and uncle has a tree like that. They are gone now. Family still owns the farm and the tree is still there. It is lovely.

[@680mudman]

Great attitude, A lot of people just cut trees down for the sake of cutting stuff down . I like the thought of a farmers wife bringing him lunch and them sitting under that tree in days gone by thanks for the great video!

[@Bettinasisrg]

My mothers side came over with the pilgrims and were of course farmers and there's an old family cemetery where we can still read some of the gravestones in the 1700. My mother said they used to farm by the sun, moon and stars in a living soil which they called "biodynamic" farming. I remember my great grandma telling me about how they'd be out at midnight planting beans! Today factory farms are killing us so I wholeheartedly support small farms that love the land they work. Thanks for sharing this wonderful journey of yours and ours.

[@TheWorld_2099]

Hey, I was struck by your comment about factory farms…Can you say more about Why you think they’re killing us? I spent my summers on real farms visiting my grandfather, but I live in a big city, so it’s harder to gauge what’s happening out in rural areas these days.

[@nancy-katharynmcgraw2669]

On my mother's side, all the way back to the Mayflower, too.

[@leethurston4774]

Good for you, too many farmers are cutting down fence rows and individual trees, it’s nice to see someone who actuallly cares.

[@Drloew1]

❤️🌳

[@robertsheray3659]

A tree in a field was very helpful when I was getting my pilots license. One of the multitude of tasks that must be accurately and successfully executed is "Turns about a point" while maintaining altitude and distance while compensating for wind. A lone tree in a field to keep on a wingtip is greatly appreciated. Thank you from the many student pilots across the country who may someday be piloting military or commercial aircraft.

[@Drloew1]

That’s a good one. First comment about airplanes but they weren’t invented when this tree was little.

[@barrynordstrom331]

In our area where I grew up on a farm, just about every quarter section of land had a family on it. As time went on, farms became bigger and fewer families. When the farm was sold, quite often the yard was left alone to crumble away. When the yard was cleaned up and broke up and put back into farm land. Quite often a tree was left standing as a marker to where the old yard once was. So when people drove by, it was a reminder to people where the old yard was.

[@Buckshot9796]

Out here in the West, White Poplar was planted by settlers as quick growing, drought resistance tree. It is no longer planted or available anywhere so when I see it growing off by itself I suspect a farm or ranch house was nearby. Great clue for finding a place for metal detecting, with permission of course!

[@michaeltewes7833]

My dad left trees for shade and he planted tomatoes about 10 feet from the base of the trees for water . This way we stayed in the field longer on hot days.

[@DrDavidThor]

Brilliant. Food for the crew. Was ten feet out where the leaves dripped?

[@cattymajiv]

@@DrDavidThor I think it must have been. That's very smart!

[@joekerr7975]

Dan is "going out on a limb " to provide such a great video! I hope he " branches " out into other "fields" of work !

[@Drloew1]

Hey why don’t you leaf 🍁 me alone. lol.

[@joekerr7975]

@@Drloew1 Ok I'll "leaf" you alone with a joke..... What do trees and dogs have in common? BARK!

[@Drloew1]

@joekerr7975 and they both give you Sticks

[@e.v.squatch5835]

Born and raised in farm country and still living on the flat lands of Oklahoma, there were many reasons for leaving the lone tree. Usually if you were running cattle or other stock it would act as a lightening rod to help keep the animals from being the tallest point in the field. If you are row planting it makes a good reference (and occasionally winch point) to use when needed. It can also be useful for locating stock that has wandered off a fair distance. Field designations for pastureland (Take them out to the field with the big oak, maple, walnut, whatever....) on larger parcels.

[@fjb4932]

More than a few have mentioned it being old, sick, soon to fall. One or two might mention to replace it After it dies. I'm remembering the adage: If you want a tree today, plant it 20 years ago. As well as : "A man that burns firewood looks back, one that plants a tree looks ahead. A nut (Oak ?) tree provides for birds (turkey), moose, elk, deer, squirrel etcetera...your imagination is your limit. I'd suggest planting 5 or so. One won't take, another dies from lightning, a third from disease, but if one or two make it... Thankyou Farmer. ☆

[@DrDavidThor]

See, this is why we need the wise old elders. They're our trees.

[@patrickmchose7472]

The "nut" you mentioned is known as "mast" in the tree world. Trees produce TONS of mast during their lifetimes, feeding the ecosystem. Pre 1900's the entire Appalachians were covered with American Chestnut trees and chestnuts fed everyone, including us. It's a shame to see what the chestnut blight has done. Chestnut still grow everywhere, but fall to the blight in their childhood. I'm hoping mother nature can over come this as the American chestnut was one of our greatest resources.

[@Randomequestrian-pm4hl]

Wisdom indeed. For what it's worth, we have a huge dead tree still standing on our farm. It was struck by lightning when I was a small toddler and I'm past 50 now. It's become a sort of farming family talisman and testament to surviving the many challenges of farm life.

[@fjb4932]

@@patrickmchose7472 Tho the " tree world" may refer to tons of mast, i'll continue to say "that tree produced tons of nuts". I dare say, dare i say, more people would understand my words. (Extra example: Ask if someone would prefer to eat nuts, or mast.) I believe you are more correct, whilst i am more right. ☆

[@lynnodonnell4764]

@@fjb4932 both work. Depends on your audience. Nuts for the common man. Mast for the professional arborist.