“Some call it the middle of nowhere, I call it my world.” If you’ve ever spent time in the countryside, you likely noticed that your heart rate slowed, you breathe more deeply, and your body and soul felt refreshed. Today I am going to inform everybody on how growing up on a farm and showing cattle has impacted my life, from making lifelong choices to my personal experiences that I have gained from growing up in a rich agriculture community.
Having the opportunity to have been born and raised on a farm is truly a blessing. Growing up on a farm has taught me so many values and life lessons which have molded me into the person I am today. The truth is, those who have had the opportunity to be raised on a farm or move onto one, understand this concept fully. There is absolutely no doubt, we are lucky. Why? What makes growing up and living on a farm so great? Well, the answer is not as complex as one may think. In fact, the answer is quite simple. The honest truth is there is no other lifestyle like it. There is no other lifestyle where one can learn and be responsible for so much, while fulfilling the role of feeding the world. Pretty remarkable. Some things that living on a farm have taught me throughout my lifetime include: the strong work ethic, doing whatever it takes to keep the family traditions alive, the responsibilities you have, priorities, the importance of faith in farming, setting a goal to achieve it, and caring and showing compassion towards agriculture.
Nothing compares to the value of hard work and a strong work ethic, along with never giving up. Hard work is required on a farm. Therefore, I have learned at a very young age just how important hard work is and how far it will take me. Nothing comes easy. For all who have stepped a foot on a farm can attest to the fact that farming is a tough lifestyle. There is really nothing easy about it. It is a 24/7 job, which is a concept not a lot of people can wrap their heads around. You then learn in order to accomplish something great, you must be willing to take a path that is far from easy. You cannot ever take the easy way out. Never giving up. No matter how high feed prices get, how much fuel costs, or how low the market prices get, you have to push through.
You will do whatever it takes to keep your family’s tradition alive. Many farms have been passed down from generation to generation. You learn the importance of your family’s tradition and then find out the desire to uphold that tradition. Responsibility. Farming teaches you this important quality. As a farmer, you are responsible for so many things; therefore, you must develop responsibility to ensure the needs of your farm are met.
Priorities. Your farm comes first. If you have a sick animal, you stay with them so that you can save their life. You have hay down and a storm comes. You drop everything to get that hay in. Sometimes this means you must miss out on normal life events including family or friends get-togethers. You do whatever it takes in order to keep your farm successful. Wake up every morning and the first ones to get fed would be the cattle.
Importance of faith in farming. You learn that faith is the basis of every attempt you face. Fully appreciating God’s creation. Living on a farm provides you the opportunities to witness several of God’s works. Sunrises, sunsets, births of newborn animals, watching a mother caring for her young, and witnessing your crops grow. Working for future generations. You are the ones responsible for feeding the world for years to come.
Concept of achieving a goal. You set goals, when you want your hay cut, when you want to get your planting done, how many calves you want to take to the sale barn, and the list goes on. In order to meet your goals, you must have a plan in place and the willpower to follow that plan. It takes determination to achieve goals along with problem solving and critical thinking. Each day, you are faced with a challenge. You have to learn how to incorporate critical thinking in order to solve problems in the most efficient way possible.
Care and compassion. You have to have this in order to be a successful farmer. Being a caretaker for your family, land and livestock. You are the one responsible for caring for your family, your land and your livestock. You play a huge role in so many different ways, which makes the farming lifestyle that much more exceptional.
Respect elders, land, and animals. You respect those who have farmed before you. You respect the livestock and land that allows you to provide for your family. This is something that will never leave you. Being a farmer you will quickly learn your importance. You are the one responsible for putting food on tables all over the world. Without agriculture, we would not survive and you completely understand this.
As you can see, growing up on a farm provides benefits that follow you throughout your life. It is something you learn to be proud of and you are sure to thank God every day for the opportunity you have to be a farmer. Unfortunately, not a lot of people get to experience this, and not many people “get it.” Are you proud to have grown up on a farm? Are you proud to still live on one? I hope this has served as a reminder just how incredible, yet tough, the farm life is. I have gained a lot of experience, and also have been taught many different things growing up on a farm raising cattle and growing crops, and that will later on help me when I grow up, whether its making job opportunities, or having my own farm when I’m on my own.
By Kylie Gruhn