As a new parent, I wonder exactly what the future will bring for our son. Being married to a fifth generation farmer, we have chosen to diversify in order for the farm to support our five families. Starting with row crops, and diversifying farther to incorporate straw and hay, and even farther to bring in hogs and cattle, we have seen our farm change so much in just the seven years that I have been around. With teaching our children responsibility along with accountability, farming is not just a job, it’s a way of life.
Yes, it is a different and at times difficult life. There is no such thing as a 9-5 day. You may be eating family meals at 9:30 at night, or in a tractor cab, or in a dusty shop as you are dumping grain. You may go 2-3 days without seeing each other, unless you are fortunate enough to be able to do it together. But how rewarding it must be, thinking about how in 50 years you can look at your grandchildren and tell how much things have grown and changed in your lifetime. And how exciting it is to think that they are farming your ground, and carrying on your family traditions.
So what can we do to be sure that our children and grandchildren can continue this life that we were so fortunate to be apart of, and more often than not take for granted? We need to be sure to speak up and speak out about what we so firmly believe in. We also need to educate outsiders and criticizers about why we do what we do, that way some day our children can continue this way of life.