OCTOBER 30, 2021 I come from farm people. As a genealogist, this is not the most exciting fact. When you seek out federal census records and eagerly scroll to the field of occupation to see how your ancestors made a living, let me tell you, it’s a total let down the moment you see “farmer” in that box. Does it mean you’ve reached a dead end in terms of records? No, not necessarily. There are agriculture schedules, local mercantile store ledgers, deeds, and plenty of other options of records you can explore to learn more about your farming family. But is it as exciting in comparison to when you find your doctor, local sheriff, or lawyer ancestor? Definitely not. Dixon family on wagon, 1904, West Virginia, (left to right) Nathan Dixon, Walter Stalnaker, Mary Dixon, Elizabeth Rockwell, Emma Dixon, Beatrice Bethel Dixon, Elizabeth V. Dixon. Week 37: On the Farm That said, running a farm is an entirely respectable career, and all of my farming ancestors get mad props from me, because ...