Champion Farmers
See update below; added on 20 Jul 2017.
At an art show I bought some items that had been picked up at an estate sale. There are many Firestone Tire booklets with interviews of farmers. One is a book of 26 interviews.
On the pages below notice the different states that these farmers come from. Each farmer talks about a different subject concerning farming or raising live stock. (topic chart below)
26 Interviews with Champion Farmers –
on Firestone Voice of the Farm Radio Programs
| Name | Location | Topic |
| William G Bedsworth | Fulton, Missouri | Terracing |
| Carl B Bender | New Brunswick, New Jersey | Grass Silage |
| Harry L Chadwick | Columbiana, Ohio | Potatoes |
| Paul Fisher | Carmel, Indiana | Ton Litter of Pigs |
| Perry B Gaines | Carrollton, Kentucky | Jersey Cattle |
| Jay Gelder | Chazy, New York | Apples |
| Asa Gresham | Smyrna, Tennessee | Lespedeza |
| Ralph L Heilman | Hope, Indiana | Corn |
| Leslie E Mathers | Mason City, Illinois | Shorthorn Cattle |
| Fred McCullock | Belle Plaine, Iowa | Oats |
| George McKerrow | Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Sheep |
| Ralph R McUmber | Greenfield, Tennessee | Strawberries |
| Dan E Miller – of Crapo Farm | Swartz Creek, Michigan | Hereford Cattle |
| Darwin L Neal | Mansfield, Pennsylvania | Poultry |
| George M Newlin | Farmington, Michigan | Cesor Farms |
| A C Oosterhuis | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin | Holstein – Friesian Cattle |
| Adolph Pirani | Marion, Arkansas | Cotton |
| William E Riegel | Tolono, Illinois | Soy Beans |
| George Schmidt | Delmar, Iowa | Beef Cattle |
| Albert F Schroeder | Prospect, Wisconsin | First Set of Firestone Tractor Tires |
| Harry S Smith | Coupeville, Washington | Wheat |
| Paul Stiefboldt | Naperville, Illinois | Plowing |
| Fred Strickler | Hutchinson, Kansas | Ayrshire Cattle |
| Sarah Ann and John Tolan | Pleasant Plaines, Illinois | Aberdeen – Angus |
| David G Wing | Mechanicsburg, Ohio | Alfalfa |
| August Ziesing | Deerfield, Illinois | Guernsey Cattle |
I will continue updating this posting with new information that I will glean from the pages of this 36 page booklet. In the mean time I’ve found a Wiki page and an Amazon sales page.
The Voice of Firestone Radio Program – Wiki web page
26 Interviews with Champion Farmers Volume II (On Firestone Voice of the Farm Radio Programs) Paperback – 1939
I hope you will find your family member on these pictures or maybe just a last name.
Thank You.
Jose A. Munoz, M.Ed
Clarkston, Michigan
Blog: https://newspaperproject2012.wordpress.com/
I was asked by Ryan Eades in a comment (see below), if the copy of the Harry L Chadwick interview was available. Here it is. I left it on its side so that the text would be large. —
I hope Ryan will be able to copy these for his family tree files.
Thank You
Jose
20Jul2017
This really took me back to a time I never knew, but it reminded me of books I’ve read.
Thanks Luanne for stopping by and for taking the time to comment. I took some Agriculture courses as MSU back in the 70’s and reading some of the interviews I too was taken back to those farming days. The box of items I bought at the Art fair have already provided me with new stories and family trees. I’ve also made contact with several people who connect with the items in the box. Thanks again.
Oh wow, that is wonderful! Good for you!
Great find! I found one of my ancestors mentioned in a Florida Dept of Agriculture publication from 1926. I was doing a search in google books/periodicals and he was mentioned as a “pioneer of peach culture” because he discovered a way to get his peaches to ripen earlier than others in the region. Interesting because he lived in a tiny community in rural north Florida. I enjoy your posts Jose.
– Kathy Lewis
Thank you Kathy for stopping by and for leaving this comment. It is amazing how many places one can find mentions of the people on the tree. Thank you for the story I think it will let others know where else to look.
Thanks for this. Harry L Chadwick is my great grandfather on my mother’s maternal side. Is there a way to see that interview in the printed book? Or am I missing something obvious. Thanks!!
I will check my files to see if that interview is available and I will add a copy of it on this post. Thank You.
Ryan, I added the two pages of the interview, I hope you will be able to use the items.
Thanks again for stopping by and leaving the comment.
Thanks, really appreciate it. Not sure if this is of interest for added context, or maybe in the print interview, but my grandmother (Harry’s daughter) shared your article with us and told us that Harry was a Charter Member of the 400 Bushel Club. He was always able to grow 400 bushels of potatoes per acre. He was given a medal in the shape of Ohio and after five years as a member he was given a small diamond which was mounted on the medal. She still has that medal.
Thanks again.
Thank you again for the additional comment. If you have a screen shot of the medal send that to me and I will add it to this blog post. My e-mail is naujelyk at aol dot com
Thank you for adding the article! So kind! Will do on the medal. My grandmother only lives about 20 minutes away so shouldn’t be too hard to get!
You’re welcome.
My grandfather, Earl Kane of Diamond lake, Illinois was also designated a champion farmer by Firestone. He received a 3″ (or so) bronze medal, he was “interviewed” by Everett Mitchell (an actor read my grandfather’s answers on the radio – they didn’t trust amateurs to be live on the radio at that time). My grandparents went on a number of trips for Champion Farmers sponsored by Firestone. I think he got his medal in the early 30’s and my Grandmother was still getting Christmas cards from Harvey Firestone, jr. in the 1960’s.
Thank You George Kane for stopping by my blog site and for the comment. The history about your grandfather Earl Kane is a bonus for the readers of this blog post, \
Thank You.
Jose from Clarkston, Michigan