View from the Cab: Generations in the making

(Kasen Casson takes the wheel of the auger cart tractor last week)

By Kent Casson

A special moment occurred the other day.

My son operated the auger cart tractor all by himself by catching the combine on the go. I was right there in the buddy seat but he was doing it all by himself. Kasen has waited years for this moment and I am very proud of the young man he is becoming. He can clutch, steer and operate the various controls.

While a few run-throughs are still needed before he can empty onto a truck by himself, he will be on his own in no time. Kasen had a growth spurt in the past year making it much easier for his feet to reach the clutch and brake pedals. I’m afraid he will be passing me up soon as he is already catching his mom in height.

The field we were in made the day even more special as it was a farm operated by our family for many years. In fact, it goes back multiple generations to my great grandfather. That makes Kasen the fifth generation to take the controls of a tractor in that field.

I often wonder what those previous generations would think of today’s farming techniques and all of the technology used. I’ve heard plenty of stories from Dad and Grandpa about how it used to be and I even have a hard time imagining anything other than a climate-controlled cab tractor with large equipment moving through that field.

This was one of the first fields I learned to operate a tractor on. I think chopping stalks was one of the first tasks I was given out in the field. Then I progressed to the chisel plow and eventually the field cultivator, grain truck, planter and combine. Each new adventure was a thrill for this farm-loving guy and I imagine Kasen had that same feeling the other day.

I spent many summers mowing the barn yard and ditches on that farm with many fond memories jamming to the latest tunes on my Sony Walkman. The FM tuner didn’t always come in very well so I decided to play one of my custom mix tapes which had everything from country to pop.

Looking back, it wasn’t necessarily the farm jobs but the people I was with who made those memories special. Great Grandma Casson lived in the farmhouse until she reached her 90s so I recall plenty of visits in that living room. I would grab a can of pop from her porch fridge and life was good for a 10-year-old.

I can only hope we are creating new memories like these for Kasen to talk about someday.