I read a quote by a farmer in a recent Western Grower’s magazine. He said “I know it may not be ‘socially acceptable’ to say, but we are here to make money. I, like everyone else, work for a living. Fortunately, I enjoy what I do, but if we don’t make money, we can’t stay in business.” It is crazy to think, that for some, farmers making money is not socially acceptable. Farming certainly is a way of life and for those who do it full time, it is what pays the bills on the farm and at home. Like everyone else they have mortgage, car, and insurance payments, food to buy, kids to clothes, and yes, if there’s money left over and time available, vacations to take.
I still remember the time when my parents made the decision to quit their full time, off-farm jobs to farm full time. I think I was in junior high, and was scared to death of what would happen if our farm didn’t make ends meet. (What’s interesting is that the fear never goes away.) A full time farm is just like any other small business, it has to provide for the farm/business expenses and leave enough left over to make a living. As farmers and ranchers, we should not feel guilty or that it is not ‘socially acceptable’ to say we are here to make money.
Although it is important that farmers and ranchers make money, there is also an intrinsic value to what they do, a value that is difficult to quantify and may not be the same for all farmers. For me, the intrinsic value of my family’s farm is the legacy for future generation. As long as the farm is viable my niece and nephews will have an opportunity to learn first-hand the joys and discomforts of farm life, an awareness for the sanctity of life, a love of the land, the value of hard work, and a connection to those in whose footsteps they follow. But this will only be possible so long as the farm is making money, and their parents are making a living on the farm.