John Deere: A Biography

When John Deere crafted his famous steel plow in his blacksmith shop in 1837, he also forged the beginnings of Deere & Company—a company that today does business around the world and employs more than 50,000 people.

As we celebrate the 209th anniversary of the birth of this enterprising pioneer, it’s appropriate to look back at his life and the legacy he left.

John was born in Rutland, Vermont, on February 7, 1804, and raised in nearby Middlebury. He was just 4 years old when his father was lost at sea, leaving his mother, Sarah Deere, to raise John and his five brothers and sisters. Due to his family’s near poverty lifestyle, John received no more than the simplest of education.

In an effort to help out his mother, and without her knowledge, John took a job in his early teens with a tanner, where he ground bark in exchange for a small amount of money, a pair of shoes and a suit of clothes.

At the age of 17, in 1821, John left home, with his mother’s blessing, to become an apprentice to a prosperous blacksmith of notable reputation in Middlebury, Captain Benjamin Lawrence. For the four-year apprenticeship, John was paid a $30 stipend the first year, and an additional $5 for each of the remaining years. He also received room and board and a set of clothes. Perhaps more valuable, John gained guidance from the stern, yet skilled Captain Lawrence, who not only taught him blacksmithing, but likely filled the void left by the death of John’s father more than a decade earlier.<a href="http://www.greenfarmparts.com">john deere mower blades</a>

Completing his apprenticeship in 1825, an eager, young John Deere moved on to journeyman positions, where he honed his skills and learned first-hand that a blacksmith’s workmanship was his signature.

It wasn’t long before he heard tales of frustration from the transplanted Vermont farmers, struggling to break the tough prairie sod. Their cast-iron plows that worked so well in the light, sandy New England soil, performed poorly in the sticky soil of the Midwest. Soil clung to the plow bottoms and had to be removed, by hand, every few steps, making plowing an arduous and time-consuming task.

Despite his difficulties in Vermont, John was an inventive and skilled blacksmith. He realized that a plow with a highly polished surface could clean—or scour—itself as it moved through the field.

One day, in 1837, John spotted a broken sawblade in the corner of a sawmill and asked the owner if he could take it back to his shop. There John Deere fashioned the world’s first successful steel plow, and in doing so, opened up the West to agricultural development.

It was time to send for his family. In late 1838, Demarius and the five Deere children embarked on the six-week journey west, primarily by covered wagon. Baby Charles, who would later succeed his father as president of Deere & Company, was cradled in the wagon’s feedbox.

Be Proactive About Your Health—ProC3G™ from Black Rice Extract Provides Total-Body Antioxidant Benefits

First there was vitamin C, the antioxidant vitamin that changed the way we think about nutritional supplementation. Then came resveratrol, the "secret" free-radical fighter in red wine that excited our imaginations and altered our understanding of antioxidants altogether. Now C3G (Cyanidin-3-glucoside) emerges as the cutting-edge nutraceutical at the forefront of our scientific quest for natural solutions to help us live longer, healthier lives.

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What does C3G do?

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C3G for Healthy Eyes: A 2011 study found that C3G defends the retina from the potentially harmful effects of light by supporting the healthy structure and function of photoreceptors. Scientists also theorize that C3G may promote healthy blood vessel function within the eyes.¹http://www.ultimateprofitmethod.com/visalus/

C3G for a Healthy Heart: A 2009 study conducted with 120 participants suggests that C3G may support healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range through its influence on a key marker of cholesterol metabolism known as cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP). A 2011 study with 150 individuals demonstrated that C3G supports healthy blood flow and vasodilation (widening of the blood vessels) by promoting healthy activity of the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway, a key mechanism in the maintenance of healthy blood vessels and healthy blood flow.^2,3

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C3G for Weight Management: Another preliminary trial comparing the effects of C3G supplementation in animals fed high fat vs. normal diets found that supplementation resulted in significantly less weight gain in those consuming high fat diets.⁵ In vitro research suggests that anthocyanins may influence gene expression for fat metabolism, signaling the body to burn rather than store fat.⁶

What makes ProC3G^™ the ultimate C3G supplement?

ProC3G is a highly concentrated, natural source C3G supplement derived from Oryza sativa black rice. With a 35% C3G content, it delivers 10 times more C3G than the best-selling anthocyanin extracts on the market today. Each capsule of Swanson Ultra® ProC3G delivers 100 mg of C3G. You would have to eat about five cups of black rice to get the same amount of C3G found in just one of our capsules! ProC3G is the pure, natural, easy way to put the power of the world's most exciting anthocyanin to work for your good health.