The Life and Stories of Leon Jacobs

Jake on the farm in 1948

Leon "Jake" Jacobs, born February 26, 1929, has been a life long resident of Bennington County. Not only has he seen the town progress through many years in the predictable social fashions, but as being the son of a farmer, he's seen the change in land and farming itself as well. From the now obsolete machinery, to odd jobs around the farm, Jake seems to have seen it all. Through his vivid stories of childhood antics and life as a farmer, Jake paints a picture of early agricultural life in Bennington. Jake's memory shows a rare perspective at the evolution of farms to industry as he states, "times have really changed...I'm glad I wasn't born any later."

The Vermonter

Jake grew up on "The Vermonter," a dairy farm that actively milked 25 dairy cows. In addition to possessing between forty and fifty head of cattle, Jake's family would hatch and raise between 400 and 500 chicks, not to mention and they would sell the milk and the eggs whole sale. The farm was purchased by Jake's grandfather in 1905. Although the cows have since disappeared from the rolling pastures, and the farm is now inactive, the stories and the memories still remain.

Interesting facts about Jake
After graduating high school, Jake went to Cornell University and studied to become an artificial inseminator. Once he returned home, artificial inseminating became so big in the area that Jake quit farming in 1957 to take on a full-time job as an artificial breeder throughout Bennington County and New York. He became a member of New York Artificial Breeder Association, and then later went to the Eastern Artificial Breeder Association before retiring from artificial breeding in 1967. Jake also owned a spraying business, and he would spray hundreds of acres of corn with pesticides every spring until he retired soon after his retirement from AB. Jake eventually bought out an amusement and vending route, which he turned into Bennington Amusement for many years.	Jake

Life on a Farm
Jake has many memories from his life as a farmer, even from when he was very young. To view some of his reflections on his life on a farm in the early to mid-1900's, click here.	Jake loved to hunt and trap as a young boy, and still enjoys it (just as much) today. To read about his hunting and trapping experiences as a kid, click here.