Planting Trees

February 19, 1932  The boys planted trees at Mother’s in the forenoon.  We all were at Mother for dinner.  In the afternoon we planted trees for us.  In the evening C. Dalkes came over. 

When the Siemens moved onto their farm in the fall of 1930, it was two quarters of farmland without a building or tree on the place.  First, they built a house, barn, chicken house, hen house, garage, and granary.  And then they planted trees.  Since the beginning of the 1800s, Mennonites had lived on flat, treeless prairies, first in Russia and then on the North American Great Plains.  They had developed a tradition of planting enormous numbers of trees wherever they went.  In Russia they had literally planted millions of trees around their villages.  They became so well known for it that the Russian government asked them to form a Forestry Service as their alternative to military service.  In Kansas the Siemens were no exception.  Within eighteen months of moving onto the farm, they planted trees.    

First, the boys, Jake, Corney, and John, went to their grandmother, Katharina (Barkman) Reimer, to plant trees at her house.  Of course, she and Aunt Lena fed the whole family dinner.  And then in the afternoon, the Siemens family planted trees at their house.  Probably this was the mulberry windbreak that was north and east of the house.  Mulberry trees have several advantages – they produce many berries that make great pie, jam, and snacks.  They provided shelter for the yard and house from the wind.  And they provided a steady supply of kindling for heating the house and cooking.  Finally, they added green and beauty to an otherwise stark prairie.