It's tradition: A folklorist's life

In most communities and cultures — certainly, the lucky ones — there are people whom folklorists call "tradition bearers." They are people who, knowingly or unknowingly, learn the methods, techniques, lifeways of their fathers; use them; and generally pass them on to their children.

Most don't think of themselves as bearers of tradition. Many think they are simply living ordinary lives. But they connect generation to generation. They pass on skills and lore. And they help define who we are.

A common characteristic these tradition bearers share, said Randy Williams, curator of the Fife Folklore Archives at Utah State University, is a deep-seated love for what they do. "They put passion into it."

As part of the American Folklore Society meetings held in Salt Lake City last week, local folklorists put together tours so visitors could meet and talk with tradition bearers in their own settings. Williams was in charge of the farming and ranching tour that took visitors to Box Elder and Cache counties.

"There is such a living heritage of this kind in Utah," said Williams, "such a strong tradition of land use for farming, ranching, orchards. We wanted to give people an inside look at this kind of lifestyle."

The first stop was Ralph Nielson's fruit stand in Perry, which has been in the family for about 70 years.

His father came to the area in 1928 as a chemistry teacher, said Nielson. "But he couldn't raise a family on the salary he was making, so he started growing fruit." (In an ironic twist, when Nielson took over the fruit-growing business, he couldn't make a full-time living at it, so he became a teacher.)

This area is a good area for growing peaches, "probably the best in the state for peaches. Dad started picking peaches at 3 cents a bushel." His father started renting land to grow fruit on, and eventually he and his brother bought 500 acres for $500.

"It's been a great heritage," said Nielson. "I worked every day of my life with my parents. It was a great blessing. I learned how to work. Life hasn't always been easy, but it's been good. I can honestly say that I've never gone to bed at night without looking forward to getting up the next morning."

Shane Haviland, a horse trainer who lives in Paradise, could probably say the same thing. "I've been involved with livestock my whole life. I've been training horses since I was 13. I'm blessed to be able to make a living at what I love to do. I'm very lucky."