Feeling and Planting Our Oats in 1975

March 13, 2024 11:34 AM CDT

During the month of March on the old Willow Valley farm, dad was attacking the tillage equipment with the grease gun and getting ready to start the big tractor (a Farmall M with around 40 horsepower on a good day). Many farmers planted oats as soon as they could get in their fields. Since our farm featured a lot of sandy soil, we were one of the first to get seeds in the ground. Many times, the little green oat seedlings would get snowed on which seemed to help the crop in the long run. Young Phil was no help as he was waiting for the mud to dry so he could ride his new 3 speed bike made by Hiawatha. After saving his meager allowance for a couple of months, a new bike radio that bolted on the handlebars had been purchased. It could get WRCO and on a good day away from the high line wires and electric fencer perhaps WISM out of Madison. Young Philip was fortunate as there were 4 neighboring farms where farmers’ daughters lived. He was longing for good weather so that they could all ride bikes together and listen to the hot tunes from 1975 emanating from his amazing bike radio. Some of my favorites from March of that year include, Black Water-Doobie Brothers (I always think of spring when I hear it), Lady Marmalade-La Belle, Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You-Sugarloaf, Best of My Love-Eagles, No No Song-Ringo Starr, Roll On Down the Highway-BTO, Movin On-Bad Company, Fire-Ohio Players, He Don’t Love You (Like I Love You)-Tony Orlando and Dawn, and Young Americans-David Bowie.

I hope you will join us for radio fun and chances to win during Those Were the Days on Saturday night. Tune in between six and midnight on WRCO FM 100.9, WRCO.com, or the Civic Media app. Last week we had several long-distance callers. My favorite was one of our southwest Wisconsin listeners that was vacationing in Hawaii. He was listening to us on the beautiful beach! I never thought I would see the day when someone would be that far away hearing us. When we began in 1986 it was great if someone was listening past Boaz on highway 14! I hope you feel your oats or plant them while listening to Those Were the Days this weekend.

Phil