I never picked farming for my career though I wanted to. I was raised on a tenant farm that grew all the food and crops we could to feed our livestock that paid the bills on that farm. It provided food and shelter and plenty of work for us five family members. I was "groomed" to go to college and "make something of myself," which I did. I saw value in being a farmer when being a farmer wasn't cool around here." Lately it seems everyone wants to be a farmer.
When you raise livestock, you are "married" to your farm. It's not the seasonal crop producing farm that many farms are today. It's not crops in spring and summer and Florida in the winter like many of my friends do today. My passionate farmer friends don't do that though, they are working around soil, crops, machinery, meetings and records 365 days a year. Many of them don't do Florida in the winter.
If you don't farm full time, why do you do what you do? What led you to what you do today? Most of my readers have some passion for agriculture though they may not be involved in agriculture directly. I bet there are some neat stories among us.
I like the grandfather pictured with his main "horse," a Minneapolis Moline propane tractor was not uncommon in Illinois but it was rare in Ohio. We chose the land and equipment that was most available to us and helped us get our work done.
Farming has changed a lot since America was founded but it's always been the backbone of it. People who have the passion to farm and even a little bit of opportunity have changed the world for the good.
If you are an American farmer or the farmer of any nation, you have good reason for a little pride and a whole lot of blessing. You are one of a chosen few. It's not for everyone and it's not easy but it is always needed and it will always be here. It is the sustenance of life.
Would you share your farming or non farming story?
Ed Winkle
I farm for the free hats
ReplyDeleteLately I am asking myself why I "still " farm. It used to be all I ever wanted to do but it seems farming has changed and I have not. Maybe it is just this week's snow and delayed harvest that is talking this morning.
ReplyDeleteFree hats, LOL. They are so poorly made in China now I have to pay for the good US hats Budde.
ReplyDeleteRalph, I just stopped to see one of my buyers and he's amazed how little of the crop is in. Everyone in town, Wilmington is sitting pretty empty with no trucks.
No harvest weather predicted here for a week or so!
Ed
Farming is an addiction its in your blood.
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ReplyDeleteEd,
ReplyDeleteI farm as much as anything for my kids. Life is not fair and farming teaches that well. Work all season long and lose a calf a birth for no apparent reason. Livestock teaches folks someone/thing/animal depends on you to ensure it has what is needed to live.
There is nothing more enjoyable for me to watch calves that are 1-2 weeks old running around kicking their legs enjoying live. I also like the challenge of mating the right bull and cow to make an off spring that improves our herd. Farming is dynamic and moving and ever changing I really think that is what we like the most. There is always the joy of success and the disapointment of not quite making it. The environmental aspect if also very rewarding. Working to leave the land better than we found it. After all we are really only care takers for a very short time. We owe it to both those who came before and those who come after to do our little part to improve and make things better.
Phil A.
Farming is like the mafia.....once you think your out it pulls you back in....it's a family thing......the only way out is to cease to exist.
ReplyDeleteThere many reason that people farm of course. My husband did not grow up on a farm but had the passion. He had wanted a sow and pigs as a young boy and in his thirties bought two bred gilts. That led to a farrowing house and eighty plus sows and selling feeder pigs while working in town. Then he added a turkey operation and not longer worked away from home. Both operations were good to us and now he is retired. We also own some farm land that is rented. I was raised on a farm with cattle and hogs and crops. I am always checking the crops when on the road. It is in the blood.
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