R.I.P. Robert Skoglund, The Humble Farmer

This one goes out to my brother and my son, who are both Mainers, and (since I lived there briefly too), also to myself! As reported by Eve Golden, Maine humorist Robert Skoglund (1936-2024) passed away back in November. Since his birthday (Jan. 8) was coming up, I decided to hold the piece ’til today.

Skoglund was born, lived, and died in the town of St. George (pop. 2,500) where his mother’s ancestors had lived for 200 years. His father was a Swedish immigrant. The only kid from his high school class to go to college, Skoglund got a masters in linguistics at the University of Rochester, learned a half a dozen languages, and was skilled at several musical instruments. He returned to the area after school, served in the local Coast Guard Station, and taught school.

In the ’70s Skoglund developed the character of The humble Farmer (making the “h” lower case to emphasize just how humble). He came by his Maine accent honestly, of course, but like all regional humorists he exaggerated it for comic effect, impersonating a guy far more rustic than he actually was. The character manifested itself in a humor column that ran in over four dozen newspapers nationally, as well as public appearances, and his own show on Maine Public Radio which ran from 1978 through 2007. He was thoroughly in the old rube comedy tradition I wrote about here. On the page, he was in the tradition of Artemus Ward, Mark Twain, and George Ade. His radio work inspires comparisons to Parker Fennelly,Stan Freberg (he spun vintage jazz), and, inevitably, his Minnesota contemporary, Garrison Keillor. On the side, Skoglund grew vegetables and sold them in his front yard, and ran a bed and breakfast with his wife. He was also known for putting on an annual lobster bake that attracted hundreds of people every year.

Like all genuine New Englanders, Skoglund was fiercely independent. He was finally pulled off the radio after making scathing comments about Present George W. Bush during the Iraq War, along with other political remarks. There are ways he may have been more at home in Vermont! At the age of 83, he installed St. George’s first electric car charging station. After the radio firing, he continued turning out his column, and stayed “on the air” (as it were) with a local cable TV show, and a podcast, all of which he kept on with until shortly before he died at age 88.

For more about show business historyconsult No Applause, Just Throw Money: The Book That Made Vaudeville Famous, And please stay tuned for my upcomingElectric Vaudeville: A Century of Radio and TV Variety.