An electric co-op opened the world

With Dad on our new 1948 John Deere ‘B’ tractor.

I grew up on a dairy, swine and crops farm in southeastern Minnesota, as did my parents and three previous generations of my family. Life and labor changed dramatically when REA electricity came in the 1930s and 1940s. With electric power came milking machines, electric lights, reliable energy to pump water for livestock and household use, kitchen appliances and much more. Horse power also gave way to tractor power during this era. Together, those developments enabled expansion of our farming operation and opened doors for my sisters and me to pursue education through high school and beyond. Significantly, those advances generated opportunities for my parents as well.

With my wife, Georgie, enjoying a hiking break on our property just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

While farming full-time, my dad was elected to the board of the area Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Rushford, Minn., including a stint as president. In addition to serving his community, the experience and exposure gained were keys to his (and Mom's) personal growth. Indeed, it opened the world to them; impressively, my parents traveled to all 50 states and more than a dozen foreign countries, mostly in their retirement years. Not bad for a couple of farm kids whose formal education was limited to eight grades.

For me, graduate school in genetics followed by 38 years on the NC State University faculty account for my longtime North Carolina residence and ever-increasing love of the state. I am now happily retired in Watauga County.

And to go full circle, it seems fitting that my wife and I are members of an electric cooperative, specifically, Blue Ridge Electric. Although 1,000 miles from my childhood roots, it feels like I am home again; and that's a good thing.

Wendell H. McKenzie, Boone, Blue Ridge Electric