Our Rural Roots

Tiffany Dowell Lashmet, Contributor

Fall is in the air, and that means Halloween is just around the corner. For me, the holiday will forever stir memories of the best farm kid costume ever.

When my son was 2 years old, he wanted to be a tractor for Halloween. We worked so hard collecting boxes and cutting the shapes just so. Then, we hand-painted everything and rigged up straps for the costume to sit just perfectly on his shoulders. It was exhausting, and I swore I would never do a homemade costume again.

The next year, my boy came to me with another farm-related Halloween costume idea. I shuddered to think of all the craftiness and hot glue this one would require. But he threw me for a loop when he said, "I want to be a 'feed sack ghost'."

I am certain I gave him a confused look at this point, but the trick was on me. He walked over to the pile of empty sheep and cattle feed sacks on the barn floor, grabbed one and instructed me to cut holes for his eyes and mouth.

So, I did just as he requested, he slipped that feed sack over his head, and a feed sack ghost he was. It was a huge hit at the school Halloween party. Everyone wanted to take his picture. People raved about how smart I was for convincing my child to say yes to such an easy costume. The feed company used his photo in marketing their sheep feed.

To this day, every Oct. 31, someone will mention the feed sack ghost and ask me to please post the photo from years ago. I always say that farm kids are the most fun kids, and that has never been truer than that Halloween with my feed sack ghost.

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-- Tiffany Dowell Lashmet juggles family, farming, costume design, writing, livestock and a career in ag law from the Texas Panhandle. Follow her blog at https://alwaysafarmkid.com/…, on Instagram alwaysafarmkid and on X @TiffDowell

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