Truth is farming is tough. OK, well it is really tough. I had no clue what I was getting into when I fell in love with a dairy farmer. You see, it was easy for me to fall in love with the farmer. He was handsome, hard working, extremely motivated, had his own business, had these cute calves and he loved my daughter and I. I got to ride around on his big green tractor, feed calves, ride around in big trucks and it was all SO exciting.
Once we were married, I got to stay at home to raise our kids and help on the farm. My main responsibility was raising the calves, the farm books and various other things. The calves, well who doesn’t love baby calves. It was easy for me to do that job and LOVE it. The books, well I am a numbers person and I LOVE office work. I will never forget the first time I wrote a check for over $20,000. My hands were shaking, I was trying to figure out how to write it out and fit it all on that tiny little line. I quickly decided with the help of Facebook that I really wanted to share our story with everyone. Why, well because I went from an ignorant consumer who believed everything she read about farming to being the actual farmer. WOW! What a difference. Most everything I had read about or seen as being “fact”, well it wasn’t so. So I took on that task to “educate the world”. Boy, was I in for it.
The second year is when things started to hit me. Farming was tough. Cows died, calves died, employees made very costly mistakes, employees quit, employees are expensive to pay, employees get fired, hay gets rained on, silage bags get holes, feed gets sold out from under you, tractors get flat tires, tractors break down, trucks get flat tires, trucks break down, deer and turkeys eat a large amount of your feed, cows get out at the worst possible moment, milking equipment breaks, feed prices are too high, milk prices are too low, some cows do not get pregnant, some cows have to be sold, beef prices are not always good, there is always some sort of inspection, there are always some new guidelines to follow, you have rules from the IRS, L&I, Employment Security Department, Department of Agriculture, Department of Ecology, Department of Transportation, you have to carry a large not so cheap insurance policy, your neighbors gossip, your neighbors are always calling you in for something, people always stop in to be nosey, etc.
You see, that list is a constant, but everything I just listed happened just this year (2013) and SO much more. I see the hours my farmer puts in to make our operation successful only to sign checks twice a month to employees that make more then we do. Every time we turn around, it is something. There are so many variables in farming, so many things that “can” go wrong and eventually do. You see, most farmers do it for the way of life. To be honest, that is what I once used to justify all of this. But lately I just haven’t seen how this way of life is worth it. Farmers need to feed the world, that is the truth. Farmers are the minority feeding the majority, that is a fact. What farmers endure to provide a quality product for consumers is just plain insane. It would be one thing if they had consumers support, but that is simply not the case. No one seems to have any respect for farmers. Every day there is some new sort of “farmer bashing”. You have major restaurant chains calling farmers lazy and others implying that they only consider their animals as objects.
When my farmer walks down the driveway on his way to put one of his girls down with his head hung down and his stomach in knots. I want consumers to feel that.
When I sat down at the barn with a sick calf; her in a vest, wrapped in one of my good blankets, a heat lamp, her being so weak that I had to tube her food/medicine and ultimately losing the battle. I want consumers to feel that.
When we worked with one of our girls for weeks trying to help her stand on her own and failing at it. I want consumers to feel that.
When we woke up on Thanksgiving morning to find our main piece of equipment in flames right next to the barn. I want consumers to feel that.
When the vet says one of my girls is not pregnant and will not breed. The feeling I feel when she goes on the truck. I want consumers to feel that.
When in a two month time period, EVERY piece of equipment you own breaks down and you do not have extra money. I want consumers to feel that.
When a piece of milking equipment breaks and you have to watch a full tank of milk go down the drain. I want consumers to feel that.
When we have to do an emergency surgery on a cow or have to induce labor to save a cow/calf. I want consumers to feel that.
When the federal inspector shows up two weeks early and your heart is racing. I want consumers to know that feeling.
I want consumers to know the truth about farmers. I want them to have respect for farmers. I want to help feed the world and feel like the world actually deserves it.
There is no “one way” to farm. There is no way we can feed the world like it was done in the 1900’s. AND there is a reason why their are less farms feeding this growing population.
Truth is, I am just a burnt out farmer’s wife/farmer. I love my farmer, love my kids, love my farm, love my girls.
Truth is, if you want to know the truth about farming. Go to a farmer.
Truth is, you need to understand what farmers do and how they do it. Why? Because they do it for you.
Truth is…
Krista Stauffer
Latest posts by Krista Stauffer (see all)
- Ensuring Quality and Safety: The Rigorous Inspection and Testing of Washington State Dairy Farms - May 6, 2024
- Understanding the National Dairy FARM Program: Ensuring Excellence in Dairy Farming - April 29, 2024
- The Importance of Nutrient Management Plans for Washington State Dairy Farms - April 17, 2024
- Homeschooling on the Farm: Cultivating Learning in a Rich Environment - April 11, 2024
That was awesome!
“Truth is… if you want to know the truth about farming… go to a farmer.
Truth is… you need to understand what farmers do & how they do it. Why? Because they do it for you.”
Consumers often miss the deep emotional involvement that farming involves. Your descriptions were spot-on and are exactly what consumers need to understand.
You nailed it.
Love this post! I actually cried reading this because this farmer's wife feels the same way. So tired of my farmer who works so hard morning to night being attacked for the way he does things. People really need to get to know farmer's before they judge. Thanks again for this post! 🙂
Thank you so much for writing this….this sums up a lot of how I feel. If only people could understand. My husband and I started dairy farming in November of 2008 and we love what we do, but it has been a challenge and it really hurts when people call farmers lazy, because we put everything into what we are doing. There has been a lot of late nights, early mornings. and sleepless nights. Hang in there, and I love reading your blog and Facebook page. It helps me to read someone else's story and be able to relate. Most of my friends are willing to listen, but don't really understand how we feel. Thanks for the time you put into social media to inform people.
Jenny
Beautiful! Thank you! I hope you don't mind if I link to this post on my dairy blog. You have said so well, what so many of us feel.
Amen. When you spend a sleepless night force feeding a newborn kid every hour and a half so she can get strong enough to refuse to eat and you lose her anyway, I want the consumer to feel that.
It has been a while since I lived in a farm. I remember the ups, and, I remember the downs.
The up of having a successful harvest, getting it all in before bad weather, the down of discovering mold had started in/on it and having to destroy it all to prevent the ladies getting sick from it. The up of getting the milking done and discovering the cooler had broke down and losing the whole thing, watching the milk run down the hill. Farming is great, I enjoyed it, but when I joined up and 3 years later got home, no more, kicked around for 3 years, got married and started driving truck.
Bit I definitely remember how hard farming can be. Definitely not for those that think it's easy. Have to laugh at people that say that. Their ignorance is showing.
I really appreciate what you are a doing and I think your blog is great!! I'm a farmer's daughter and want to be a farmer or rancher's wife someday. Everything you've said is so true!! thank you
Thank you for taking the time to read it! It was hard to push “publish” but I am glad that I did.
It felt amazing to get it off my chest. I am glad you enjoyed it. Please feel free to share it.
We started in 2009… talk about a great year to start?! Not. 🙂 I am glad you enjoyed it & actually that I am not the only one that is feeling it. Have a great day!
Thanks for taking the time to read it! It was nice to meet you at the fair! 🙂
Oh thank you! This is well written and applies to farmers of all types. We used to run beef when I was very little, and these days the family keeps up with 20 acres of raspberries and 40 of alfalfa and such. Even though we don't have the animals anymore we go through the same concerns. Gas prices go up and the tractor can't run on air. Fungus gets in the vines and all you can do is burn them. So many complain over prices which we've tried to hold down year to year until we just can't anymore and then grouse that farmers are getting rich off of their produce prices. There's nothing further than the truth. But we love it. There's too much dirt under our nails and the smell of manure and hard rains in our souls to ever do anything else…
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to read it! I forgot about diesel… maybe because I tend to not look at the price when we fill up! 😉 Have a great day!
You have so beautifully put words to the way alot of us feel. We are Naturally Raised Meat farmers and I have been trying to get people to understand the importance of maintaining freedom to farm and freedom to buy. May God Bless you and your family! Mendy (The Farmers Wife) 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
Love it Krista. I do feel you happiness, your love, your hurtfulness, your sadness, your frustrations, your tiredness!! I do so appreciate you and your family!! People do not respect farmers or have any clue what goes into daily, everyday as a farmer and his family!! As for your gossiping neighbors, they need to shut there pie holes. You guys are awesome!! When you have a moment, I would love to bring my family up to see your farm and a tour so they too can be educated about the food and milk we eat and drink!! Love your blog. Keep up the strong, courageous battle you go through daily!! Love you all
Thank you! Would love to have you over in the next couple weeks!!
Very good article. Grew up a farm kid and I know exactly “that feeling” you are describing. I watched my Mom line baby pigs up in blanket lined boxes next to the wood stove in hopes we'd save that litter because their Mamma could/wouldn't take them. My mother's family are beef farmers and I was raised with on my paternal grandpa's farm on a pig farm. My Dad not only helped with that family farm but also helped with my paternal grandma's dairy/sheep/pig farm. So I know firsthand that feeling. Listening to people that have never worked or lived a day on a farm tell you how rich you are because you have acreage and if times get tough sell it..not realizing that is the land your family worked hard to hold onto for over 150 yrs!! Listening to them tell you how cruel farmers are to animals. Not seeing my grandpa and Dad pour over the almanac and raymond calendar signs so the pigs won't bleed during cutting, or sitting up all night with a heat lamp to make sure they make it through a winter night. Of stretching out every single item in your garden and feeding every farmhand that works the hay fields etc. Of hearing the city kids gripe because they have to feed their cat while we bundled up to help feed before school. Saying farmers are rich when they don't realize you have to pay for that fuel, those animals, those extra hands. But you know what..let them talk. We are truly rich. We know that the land provides but the land can take away so we need to respect it. We are rich in the knowledge that hard work won't break you, sacrifices won't kill you and we have a whole different perspective and appreciation on life. Our kids know where food comes from and they know that nothing in life is free. One farmer feeds an est. 150 people and it's time in this country we become pro farmer again. We may need a dr from time to time, a lawyer once in awhile but we need a farmer 3 times a day!! Keep your chin up, stay strong and be proud 🙂
LOVE what you wrote! Thank you for taking the time to read/comment!!
There is no words for that, you said it all and I think that is something that should be posted in every major paper in the world!
Hello again. For some reason that link does not take me to your Facebook page, and I can't seem to find it by searching. Would sure like to see it though.
It might be published in our local paper. 🙂
Swap the u and the a (Stauffer) and the link works. Lois
I am so sorry! I obviously cannot spell my own last name!! 🙂 Here is the correct link:
https://www.facebook.com/StaufferDairy
Thank you for taking the time to read!! I also have a Facebook page that you could check out! https://www.facebook.com/StaufferDairy
I cried too when I read it, sort of a city farmer, grew up in the city but had a farm 50 miles away where we raised beef cows and calves and had horses. Baled our own hay etc. BEEN THERE DONE THAT on a smaller scale and it wasn't my families “Bread and Butter” job but it was my life's passion and I SOOOO FEEL YOUR Dilemma I live in Rural Wisconsin so there are still alot of family farmers in my area and most of us appreciate it and know how hard they work. . It takes a STRONG FAMILY TO FARM FOR A LIVING!!!! YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Very well said. We have a cow/calf operation here. 4th generation. We spend so much time and effort to take care of our cattle and our land. They are like children to me. I cry when babies die, I cry when we work day and night to save them and they live. I so enjoy when people come to the ranch and we can show them the workings of the ranch. Introduce them to cows and bulls. The horses and even our “employees”, the dogs! 🙂
Thank you!
This is my first visit to your blog and what an excellent post. We run a mixed farming operation and have heard all the comments about 'rich whiny farmers just sitting around waiting for government handouts.'
I too have cared for and lost countless animals over the last 33 years. I couldn't believe my ears a few years ago when a news story told of how a zoo brought in grief counselors for staff after losing a baby elephant when its mother abandoned it.
I found myself yelling at the TV, “Grief counselors! Where's MY grief counselor?!”
Yes, farming is hard at the best of times and that can be very discouraging, but at the end of the day there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
Thanks for putting into words what I've often thought on our dairy farm.
Ha! I guess I would need one often if that was the case. 😉
Thanks for reading!
This is a super thought provoking post… Thank you for taking the time to tell it like it is.
We've been working our butts off trying to get the word out about a great little family dairy in Mississippi… It's not just about them, but about what all farmers are going through right now.
Here's a short film about the family… It's a bit of a tribute to a lifestyle that is really hard work.
You practically brought tears to my eyes.
I once asked my husband “What happens if some day, we are no longer making a profit off the farm?” and his response was “As long as we are at least breaking even, I will always farm. No ands, ifs or buts. It's what I was put on this Earth to do.”
When consumers say “Oh farmers are just in it to make money and get their government tax breaks”, I want them to hear that.
Bless their hearts. And as farm wives, it's so important to support our farmers and inform the consumers.
Love the post. Keep up the great writing!
I watched it & it was great! We would LOVE to bottle our own milk some day. 🙂
Thank you! Yes, I cannot even imagine my farmer doing anything else.
Excellent and very true.
Excellent writing-so close to home and so true for this farmer. Please keep writing! It's great for my heart listening to yours!
Thank you- as a new farm owner, mother of a dairy farmer's wife, mother of a dairy farmer's girlfriend and a mother of a ag science/agronomy graduate, we have seen alot. Scheduling holidays around 3 milking schedules- when we didn' t even have a cow! Seeing our little goats be born only to have one be attacked by a bear. Frozen buckets and the lovely smell of milk replacer and manure. The lovely seed and fertilizer bills. Farming is definarely not for the faint of heart. You have to eat, sleep and love the smells of farm life. I truly feel blessed to be part of a dying breed and thankful that my three daughters, husband and I are able to start the third, fourth and our grandson being the fifth generation to run our family farm. Red Ridge Farm is a tribute to my husband's grandparents and we are truly blessed by being here.
Hang in there!!! Not everyone takes farmers for granted. thank you for all you do!!!!
First, please know that I share that pain. I too was a farmer… Wayne County, NY. Tree fruits… mainly apples; as well as cherries, pears, plums. Fairly big operation… ~90,000 bushel of apples, 200 tons of cherries, 10,000 bushel of pears; annually. Different than livestock certainly, but most of the struggles were the same. Equipment failure, labor problems, government regulations, INS, EPA, DEC, DOL, OSHA. Lots of hand labor… especially seasonal. Big dependence on spray chemicals… insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators. Organic? Fine if you have your niche market and are an isolated grower in a region otherwise not intensive to the same crop. Try that with a monoculture where you're surrounded by orchards in a county where around one-third to one-half of the state's almost 30 million bushel are grown. Every year the industry is making technological progress towards less dependence on chemicals… but still not a large-scale practicality in the prime growing regions where apple growing is so intensive. Modern apple orchards are very high density… up to 2000, even 3000 trees per acre; and require trellis. Establishment costs can be in the range of 10K per acre. Plus to stay profitable today's grower has had to begin to have ownership investment in a greater part of the distribution chain that follows the harvest… controlled atmosphere storage, packing, even direct investment in the sales organization. With that kind of start-up investment failure is catastrophic. Go back to the old ways? No. Not and stay competitive in the national and even global marketplace of today. Crops like fruit are delicate and highly perishable, and very costly to raise. You spend 40 weeks of the year growing… $, labor, blood, sweat, tears. Payday only comes at the end… following a successful harvest. If disaster strikes… whatever that is… shortage of labor, frost/freeze, poor pollination, hail, insect, disease, etc…. the proceeds of that 40 weeks of work can disappear in the blink of an eye. I had it happen many times… typically not complete loss… but rather a %. I did have a year that was an almost complete loss however. Terrible storm when we were only days from beginning harvest. -$300K. Ouch. What hurts about loss at that time is that by then all of the input short of harvest costs is invested… and therefore lost. If you get a freeze at bloom at least it comes early and you can scale back on spray, mowing, etc. Just the minimum necessary to maintain.
I left… sold to a very large neighboring grower. To be honest I left with some bitterness. And I do miss many aspects of that former life. I also do not forget the reasons I left it however. Well I'll need to apologize for being negative, but unfortunately you're preaching to the choir here. In today's world I am afraid that the non-farming public has just lost touch. They don't care and never will until the food either becomes too expensive or is gone… and they have to try and produce it themselves. We may reach that point one day… but for now, as long as food is cheap and plentiful, farmers will continue to lack the respect, compensation, and concern for what they do but that they so much deserve.
I hear your pain. Been there and I do know that we all have those days (or weeks) but we also have the days when the sun is setting on a beautiful day that we spent with our family, our children are playing in the yard and we enjoy the peace at the end of the day. Hang in there and you will soon find more of the better days than you do the hard days!! Love your farmer and your life!!
Wow. I cried reading this because I know that feeling. I grew up on a crop farm in South Dakota, am working in the ag industry now, and am marrying a farmer/rancher from Texas next August. Our lifestyle is so often criticized from people who know nothing of it. They read an article in a newspaper about how “modern farming” is ruining the food system and fail to ever realize there are people like you and me, your farmer, my father, and my fiancé behind it all. We are families who rely on that farm for so much more than an income. We do it for the love and satisfaction of doing our part in feeding the world. Keep your head up, and keep writing about what is happening on your farm. Thank you for this blog post, and keep up the great work.
Thank you! I'm the daughter of an organic farmer and growing up my dad always told me not to marry a farmer, so what do I do, yup marry a farmer! I know the feelings of every one of the things you wrote about, and watched my sister who works the family farm with my husband agonize over a sick cow, many times it would be cheaper to just let them go or put them down but they are part of the family too, not just a piece of meat, so we do all we can, sit up all night and yes use the good bed linens & towels to warm a calf. When I was a kid we had my preemie jersey in the basement all winter! It's not easy, we don't make money, but I'm so glad my boys get to be raised on a farm, just like I was.
I am a farmers wife and while I am not a dairy farmers wife, we share all the same frustrations in crops, livestock, weather, and then have to endure the ignorance of people. How many children have asked me what store do I get my eggs because they really have no idea that they come from a chicken…or that milk comes from cows or that steaks are not “grown” in the back room of the supermarket.
We work so hard to bring the best to the consumers, get paid much less than we should, and still have to endure a fight over the price of tomatoes that taste better than anything sold in the “box stores”.
I have said your sentiments often about wishing that people could walk in my shoes for a day…or even just an hour; perhaps some tunes would change, some eyes would turn.
Thank you for posting this. I'm going to pass it along in hopes that many others read it.
Blessings……..
Great post! I am married to a turkey farmer and I did not grow up on a farm, so I totally understand that there are a million things we experience that consumers never will. Keep up your agvocacy. You're doinga great job!
Beautifully written and spot on !!!! A farmers wife for almost 17 years now, my farmer and his brother did the farming on their parents farm in Pa until 5 yrs ago when we bought our own farm in southern NY and moved here 4 yrs ago. Wow now I am his right hand girl and am doing thing I never thought I myself would be doing. Our kids love the farm and talk about farming as well when they grow up, it is a great life but also very stressful at times. I think everyone should walk a mile in a farmers shoes to fully understand. Great article and great writing
Applause! If only we could cut the “middle-men” out of the process and you could earn what consumers pay – then there might be some financial reward beyond the esoterical rewards for you! Everyone makes money along the way in food production except the farmer.
Truth is .. farming is 24/7. Not an 8-5 job, and doesn't include vacations.
Truth is… farming is not easy, farmers are at the beck and call of mother nature, and what ever else comes along.
Truth is.. farming is a passion, love, and desire to live on the land and give back to the land.
Truth is… farming is awesome, and thank God we have farmers who love to be farmers!!!
Go glad you put the truth out there about the life and struggles of a farmer!
Well said!! Brought tears to my eyes!!
THANK YOU! I too am a farm wife and all those things you wrote needed to be addressed! I too have felt all those things and like you I try to educate the public about what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. The biggest reason we farm, I tell them, is because we love it! God bless you!
I am a Canadian farm wife/farmer on a dairy farm. I had tears in my eyes when I read about your girls and the calves. The same thing happens here. We call all our cows by their names and they are our working pets. Well said….I am going to share this and hope some consumers give a little more respect to farmers.
I remember 17 years ago having the thrill of becoming a farmer's wife. I had the baby calves, the adult Holsteins, fixing the broken automatic cattle waterer in sub zero weather, the learn as you go kind of further education, the instant tax preparer position for us and my inlaws, the babies and children, the loan denials at the bank, and all the ups and downs a farm can have. I wouldn't trade any of the experiences I have had for anything in the world. I laughed and cried as I read your posting. Cheers to the farmer! Cheers to the wife standing BESIDE the farmer.
Great read, well written, I enjoyed it and agree s much. However there is other things I would love consumers to feel. Such as the happiness when you scratch a pigs belly and they roll over like a dog. Or the pride of having every ingredient in you meal come from the garden. Also the peacefulness of ducks swimming in a pond. Diving, splashing and bathing. Nothing beats watching a mama hen take her brood to the barnyard for the first time. I firmly believe that peoples opinions of farmers would change if they experienced the joys of farming. They would realize the love, appreciation and empathy we have for our animals, and only when they understand that, will the true effect of what you have said in your article sink in.
Thank you for being a farmer, from another farmer 🙂
Good job, great writing. You hit the nail on the head!
The memory of farms being just outside of town when we used to leave for up north Wisconsin, the glorious smells of farms across the countryside, I had visited farms, and even worked for a few days on a summer vacation….but the everyday ups and downs of slaving at the hands of nature….in this day and age, the costs of living for middle class people being multiplied for all the overhead of a farm….and then to compete with corporate farms….The love and respect that the family farmers and there family deserves should never be questioned…it still warms my heart to drive on my bike through the dairy farm lands of my home state, to smell those smells, and witness the beauty of the hard work performed on a daily basis….So many of those farms from 40 years ago have been turned to subdivisions, the population keeps growing, and so many have not a single clue to what a hard days work REALLY involves….if what so many think to criticize , could be lived for a year…..I love and respect the blessings of your hard work, I thank you all for what you do….if those masses could only be as strong …to live up to the demands you do, the gratitude would fill their hearts….
I just want to say that was awesome! I know I am not a farmer, but I did go with one for almost a year and I did help out with feedin, slinging poop out, and takin care of the ones that went down and couldn't stand prayin she would get up, feedin the little calves and takin care of them when they didn't want to drink there milk and putting tube down there throat prayin you didn't drown them while tryin to force feed them, But I wouldn't take back a second of it! I loved it and respected the hard work that they do and time they put in!! So loved experiencing bein a farm girl even if it was a short time!
Thank you! You could have written this for our lives over the past two years. Some days, just knowing that someone else understands is big help. Hang in there!
Beautifully written. ''When my farmer walks down the driveway on his way to put one of his girls down… with his head hung down & his stomach in knots. I want consumers to feel that.'' That one got me a little teary. Thanks for showing us farmers care!
Oh my goodness, you brought tears to my eyes! I love this blog post. I will share this and I will spread the word because I know exactly how you feel. I live on a stable with horses and the world is against horse owners right now and how they think we're mistreating them if they see a thin animal and yet they have no idea the time and energy, the love and the hope that we put into that animal everyday to try and keep it alive. To try and keep it from people thinking we're doing something wrong to that animal.
My boyfriends family are dairy farmers and he works for another farm! He works for TWO farms!! I work for a farm and I go to work with him!
No one understands farming or animals like other farmers or animal caretakers that aren't activists! You have said it so well. Thank you for this post! Thank you for bringing tears to my eyes because I feel your pain. Thank you for being a farmer!
I have been where you are … consumer to marrying the farmer and becoming a farmer … You have “hit the nail on the head”. Everything you said is spot on and so real. Thank you for putting it all into the words we all want to say.
Karen @ http://www.countryfiedclothing.com
wow this farmer's wife said it all. i grew up on a dairy farm. the whole family worked on the farm. no one understands what farming means unless they have done it. i say to this farm wife hang on to the good times because that is what means something in the end
Oh boy you just said it all very well my fellow dairy famers wife!!!! Some days you feel like you are the only ones that are having all the bad luck and feel like you are loosing a battle with the general public. It only takes one bad media story to make the rest of us look bad. Thanks for making me feel like I am a “normal” person..there are others like me and you out there!! One piece of advice I was given when we started dairy farming 15 years ago was “never take your feelings from bad days or arguments or problems into the house…leave them in the barn”. It takes some time to learn this but it is true.
Well written. Consumers do not understand the blood, sweat and tears that go into getting the product on the shelf.
I am a farmers wife….swore as a young girl that I wouldn't marry one either….but like you said, when you fall in love with one that is so motivated and hard working, you just don't care what the occupation. It is a hard lifesyle but I wouldn't change it for the world. I love seeing my kids help out with chores and that we can go outside and see 'daddy' anytime we want to. Yes, he doesn't get the time off, and he works like a dog. We are proud to be farmers and people need to read your article and open their eyes to see the importance of what we do. thank you.
I was a farmers daughter and for over 30 years a farmers wife…working hard, raising a big family during the tough years when interest was sky high and crops failed and prices fell. This tells it like it is…..blood, sweat, tears and loss. The sad part is that after years of not having his dreams of success reached, my farmer looked for a younger and wealthy wife. I was left without a cent, to start my life over. The one thing this article left out was that discouraged farmers sometimes lose direction and forget the one who helped them. Not to sound bitter, but yeah, I am!
So true – the government cheap food policy will always keep farmers, at least dairy farmers in debt, and the public oblivious to the miracle of American farming.
We have created the cheapest, safest and most plentiful food supply in the history of the world. We work harder than anyone with little or no reward -No profits, pensions, personal days and no respect. Its a terrible stress for a marriage where the farmer is consumed by devotion to the animal`s wellbeing by necessity. Of course it is the vest way to raise kids ~ they will always know how to work…
I think some special recognition for the 50,000 dairy farmers is Long overdue! How about some special discounts from companies ;like t h e military gets or whatnot.
This is why you took your vacation. Don't forget that for a second. Had we known 2013 would have been as bad for us as it was, we probably wouldn't have been in Florida in January. 20/20 hindsight, maybe it was the only way we made it through. My wife has essentially the same experience as you, from beginning to present. I feel your pain, her pain, my pain, OUR pain. Nothing but love for you and your ability to put it into words.
AMEN!!!!!
I own a small ranch and there is no way in heck I would do what you do because I know how hard it is to manage the little I have. God bless you both, I do know it's a tough life.
I am not a farmer by any means. I mean I grew up on a small hobby farm, a bit of land, and a barn, cats, dogs, goats chickens. We have to feed our large family, and not having the weight of feeding the world on our shoulders. But the fact is, it is not easy even if its just. Our small veggie garden doesn't grow, or chickens don't lay their eggs, or a cat or chicken goes missing. It's hard. Even if you raise an animal to butcher to eat, you get emotionally attached for many reasons.
I used to live near a dairy farm, we would always walk to see their cows and buy milk and eggs from them. Just walking into the barn, you know a lot of work is being done there. Its just a feeling you get. You don't have to see the work, you just have to feel the energy that comes from the area.
When I get my own house I will be continue to have chickens and look after these animals. It's a choice to live this way, and yes not everyone is up to it but the self accomplishment that come from even our small farm, is enough to inspire!
Beautiful and Thank you ~ from a farmer's wife/ producer & processor of food.
Thank you. I have always been a defender of the farmer for as long as I can remember, and yet the closest I get to a farm is when I go to my niece's home, her husband is a dairy farmer, and I see how hard he works. They can never spend the day away at a family function because they must get home for chores. They have a wonderful relationship and are trying to make a successful dairy. Yes it would do consumers the world of good to see where the wholesome, healthy milk and butter comes from just as it would to see where their steak and pork-chops come from; and not from the Styrofoam trays in the supermarket. Again thank you for turning the light upon your life and showing that it is not as some people would think the rich farmer but a lot of hard work for very little profit as it is for the most part returned into the farm.
I feel it! as a born & bred city girl who shopped & complained of prices, quality and quantity available when I wanted it we became farmers, just a hobby farm with a bit of everything but it has opened my eyes Wide! I feel your pain, struggles & triumphs. I've got such a compassion & understanding for farmers & REAL farm life, not the glorious life style media portrays in well taken pics. Its been hard but I absolutly LOVE it, the best thing we did for ourselves & the children. Hang in there, there will come a time when your efforts will be appreciated, needed & valued., Thankfully I already see a growing number of people who already do.
I really enjoy this post. Instead of launching into the politics of why people should be more supportive of Agriculture, you just simply and concisely listed serious issues that we face everyday. You made Farmer's more human than the commercials that have them driving shiny red machinery in perfect wheaten fields trying to sell a product that everyone can see almost anywhere so it must be in abundance and easy to get, right?
I try to enlighten people to the everyday farm life as well and the trials we go through but it can be hard. You never know if you might cross that line and get attacked by Animal Rights Activists or Environmental Activists. According to them you can't be a farmer and support the environment and animal welfare? As soon as I find the button here I will add you to my list of following blogs 🙂
Great job and i do respect Farmers as and i know lots of people dont we just started a small farm of just sheep and Bunnys and Chickens thats enough work for me with 4 kids to but wanted my 4 children to grow up more natural.I couldnt imagine the loss you feel and sorry for it and yes farming is hard .
Hi I am also a farmers wife , but on the other side of the world in New Zealand. What I also know is besides everything that you have stated we are extremely proud of the high quality food we produce for the world. We grow avocados and kiwifruit besides being a dairy farmer and we put all our passion for food into everything we do, come rain , hail or shine. And when it doesn't work quite to plan this year, we start all over again the following year, knowing that it could be just as hard as this year. We are eternal optimists because this is what we do.
When I was young I used to watch the PBS series “All Creatures Great and Small”. It was about vets in rural Yorkshire, but you got to see some of the things the farmers went through. I am a city girl through and through, but I have tremendous respect for farmers and the long hours they work. I love shopping at our local Farmers' Market and even though the prices are higher than the grocery store, I know the food I am buying is fresh and I am helping to support local farmers. Please continue what you're doing – we need you!!
There are sacrifices we all make in order to live the lives we want to live. Farming is a lifestyle, not a job. If a person got into farming to make money, they definitely picked the wrong career. Farmers don't expect praise for doing the job they signed up to do, nor do we expect pity for the tough times that we all inevitably go through. It is a life most of us were either born into, raised around or chose when we married into it. It is a hard life, a dirty life, a thankless life, and a wonderful one. Those who live it everyday wouldn't trade it for the world.
I am a farmers wife in nz and it is just the same here.
Thank you to you, your farmer and little farmers for sharing this, a lot of people don't get that us farmers don't do it for money we do it for love. The years I spent not on a farm I was so lost, I hated having to buy my meat at a grocery store because I didn't know where it came from. I live on a small hobby farm now and sure there are days when I want to sleep in cuz I am off from my other job but the donkeys are at my window causing a ruckus and I wonder why I love this life, but would I trade it? Not a chance! Sometimes things might seem tough ( I think every farmer has had a day when they are praying a machine will hold out a little longer and then cussing when they have to try and figure out a way to pay the mountain of bills with a molehill of money) but the sun always comes out 🙂
Thankyou from one farmer's wife to another!.
The truth is when its still dark outside and the birds are not yet awake its feels like we are the first in the world to land our feet on the floor. Someone could die if we lag a little, someone could be very sick if we dont get a move on, many mouths wait for us to eat every day, many bodies depend on our conscientiousness for their comfort and wellbeing every day. Its great to be needed but when stars are twinkling when you fall back to bed, your body too tired, your bank account spent, it would be nice ito know someone cared for the Farmers so they could sleep with a smile and dream of the wellfed.
Thank you so much, Wife of a Farmer, for sharing this. My parents are farmers, and as someone who cares so much about them, it was, and still is, quite heartbreaking to see them struggle along as hard as they did to make ends meet when there was simply no more money to keep going given that the payout had dropped almost $4 from one season to the next. I've also watched them struggle as they handed their farm employee his final notice, as it is really difficult to find quality farm staff.
Much of what you have said is very true, and is exactly the wording I have been looking for for so long. It is often so difficult to explain these things to people who have no experience with farming, and I have got to the point where I am so past done trying to explain to them as it got too tiresome trying to explain a concept to someone who I know will not understand.
Thanks so much for this! Take care!
Amen! This just sums it up really nicely! I see exactly what you're going through as a farmer as my own dad does everyday for my entire life that he has been farming. Thanks for sharing your story!
Your letter should be required reading for those that have any relationship with farming whether they are bankers, bureaucrats, or just plain people who have no idea what farming life is. I started farming fourteen years ago at the age of 64. My wife and I started raising Highland beef cows with the thought of supplying others with good breeding stock. The business model looked good until BSE was discovered in one animal of dubious nationality. Poof, so much for that business model. Now what? Animals needed to be fed, calves needed to be taken care of. Winter nights looking for animals calving in the snow and wind, making sure their was plenty of hay and water available often raised the question of one's sanity for what. Your prices for your beef were always too high regardless of the quality. The input costs never seem to lessen, equipment aged, suppliers raised their prices without questions while yours were forced lower by a demanding public.Farming seems like being on a roller coaster. You save a calf your on a high you lose one you hit bottom. You have a good stand of grass your at the top and then it rains and you hit the bottom. Your lose a sale you hit a turn when you make the sale you are back on the straight-away. Crazy business if one can call it a business.
I'm a dairy farmer, I can relate to this, its when you sit with a sick calf and put its little head on your lap and pet it until it takes its last breath, that's love <3
Oh thank you so much for writing that! At least I don't feel alone anymore thinking I'm the only one feeling this way 🙂 Not dairy but cropping and livestock the other side of the world, but this farmers wife can relate to every word written and have of late stood and asked the question out loud, why on earth do we bother feeding these people when they treat us like this, but we keep at it. I hope your year ahead is a great one. xx
Well said 🙂
Thank you!
We just shared on our FB page Do you have a FB page? We'd love to follow. Your blogs are great and spot on.
http://Www.facebook.com/StaufferDairy
Damn! It just doesn't come up when I search 🙁
Wow! Because the comment I posted earlier wasn't full of praise for how wonderful your article was it got deleted…… interesting. All I stated was that farming is difficult, and that those that do it do it because they love the life not for the glory. Your article was very well written and had some very valid points. But knowing 'more of the story' keeps some of us from blindly singing your praises based on words posted on a blog, fb page or local newspaper.
What an amazing post. Without bitterness or hysteria, you have perfectly captured the sense of helplessness against nature that farmers feel so often. My family and I are new to farming, with a small herd of goats and llamas, and chickens, but we're lucky to rent on a working family farm, and I have seen first hand that devastation, as well as the incredible joys, that farming can bring.
I shared this on my Facebook page too. Thank you. http://www.facebook.com/sincityfarmgirl
Thank you!
Thank you everyone!!! I am so excited that this was so well received!!! Have a great day everyone!!!
I have a microfarm, half a dozen cattle and fifteen sheep. We've been hand feeding for nearly a year now, but the guy next door has been hand feeding 400 cattle so I've not got so much to complain about 🙂
I saw a comment in the newspaper once where the guy said “Stupid whinging farmers, we'd be better off without them !” and I thought maybe they should be without us, just for a week, if we stopped shipping food for one week the cities would be on their knees. But who can afford to let their produce sit ? Rock and a hard place.
When I roll out of bed to get everyone fed and watered before another scorching day, and note that that fire index is “extreme” and make sure everyone is close to the house in case I need to move fast … I wonder why. And when I get home and it's already dark and I'm feeding in the freezing sleet I wonder why. Thankfully I have an outside job which feeds us when this place can't. I can't imagine the stress of depending on this land.
Anyway, I agree 100% that people need to understand where their food comes from and what it takes to get it to them. Maybe they'd waste and discard less, maybe they'd even enjoy it more if they appreciated it.
I'm going to go and love on my new calf, she knows exactly where her food comes and appreciates every drop her mum provides 🙂
Thankyou for your post 🙂
Hello! I am not sure which comment you were referring too. I have not deleted any comments. I have now just had time to sit down & read them… as well as trying to reply to everyone. Please by all means share what you had originally stated.
Thank you for sharing! I had time to check out your page! Great job!
Thank you for taking the time to read & comment! Hope your lil one is doing well!
I went & “liked” your page… hope you can find me that way! 🙂 BTW great page you have!
Thank you!
I hope you have a great year as well! Also glad that I am not the only one that has these feelings!! 🙂
Yes it is!
Yep! SO many variables in farming… it is always something. Good or bad… always something!!! 🙂
Good luck on your new adventure to “agvocate”!!!
Hope this next year is amazing for them! 🙂
You are good with words! Do you have a blog?!
Hang in there! Hope everything is going well on your farm!
I completely agree with you. This article was never intended to generate “pity” for farmers… it is simply stating what farmers endure on a daily basis to provide a quality product for consumers… consumers in which most are the very ones bashing farmers on a regular basis. Just some words in hopes that people will realize how hard we work & that we really do care for our girls.
Thank you!
You have to be an optimist because if you were a realist you wouldn't still be a farmer! 😉 I have always wanted to travel to New Zealand! Have a great day!
How exciting that you get to raise your children in a farm setting. Hope everything is going well on your farm!!!
Glad you enjoyed the post. More & more farmers are stepping up to speak up… its hard & scary to put yourself out there!
Good for you! I hope everything is going great on your lil farm!! Take care!!!
Thank you for taking the time to read it & sticking up for farmers!! Much appreciated!!!
🙂
Completely agree! Even with my other girls (aka the chickens)… you get attached… how could you not!? You spend every day with them!
Thanks Tim! Also, thanks for showing support on our FB page. Tell your wife she is amazing. Farm wives are a special breed… 😉
Ugh… I am so sorry. That happens to the best of us. Just know that I feel your pain & have found my “second chance” with my farmer. There is someone out there that will love you & will only have eyes for you! Keep your head up!! Hugs…
Thank you! Please share it with anyone you think needs to read it. Take care!
Thank you!
That would be the first advice I would give any new farmer or farm wife… leave it in the barn. Keep the house for the family & taking time to recover from your day! As far as the media… the majority of the farmers have so much work cut out for them to fix what the minority does & was caught doing!
Thank you! You have to focus on the positive to get through the negative! 🙂
Thank you! Do you have a FB page?
Thank you for being brave & diving into farming! Hope everything is treating you well!
Thank you for taking time to read!! Take care!
Writing this blog has helped me to see that I am not the only one. Hang in there as well! Hope this next year treats you well!!!!
I just wish that everyone could spend one week on a farm. I wish they could feel what we do on a daily basis. It could change so much about our society…
Thank you!
Ha! That is one of my next blogs… it is saved as a draft. Thank you as well for being a farmer! You rock!! 😉
Cheers to you for standing by your farmer & enduring what you have! It takes a special person to be a farmer! Take care!
Thank you & please share!! 🙂
Thank you! Do you have a farm FB page? If so, please share!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Couldn't agree more!
Thank you & thank you for being a farmer!
Thank you!
Thank you! Please share!! Hope all is well on your farm!
Your kiddos are blessed to be raised on a farm. So many valuable life lessons taught on a farm! Take care!
Thank you! Keep your head up… at least from one farmer to another I think your amazing & know how hard you work!
Thank you! Hope all is well on your farm! Take care!
I completely agree with everything you stated & by reading your post I can see your bitterness. To be honest, I completely understand your bitterness. There are days where we wonder why we are we even doing this?! If we walk away… we will have nothing to show for it. Just because this post will most likely not change the minds of consumers… doesn't mean it shouldn't be written, shared & used to try to reach people. You cannot sit back & hope for change… but do nothing about it. Farmers are fighting a losing battle… but I am not the type to go out without a fight. Take care to both of you!
Thank you!
Thank you for being a farmer! Hope all is well on your farm!
Thanks everyone!!!
I would first like to say Thank You to “the Farmers Wife” for taking the time to write something I've tried to put in words for sometime. People need to be exposed to what we're doing so they do appreciate what happens.
I have been sheep farming for 8 years now. I was AMAZED after seeing first hand what takes place on farm(s) to bring products to the consumer. I feel we have a voice and we need to help folks out there understand. It's not their fault, they have only had a “grocery store, plastic wrapped” delivery system for years now. With Blogs like this, social media, direct to consumer sales and various other outlets we can reach people. I am a vendor at several farmers markets and I can say first hand…there is a food revolution going on and people are starting to get it. Look at the attention this Blog is getting. I just happen to believe….”it takes a village”…
When I was little, my dad ran the local feed & grain store, along with the seed, fertilizer and pesticide application products and equipment. I remember that Kent Feeds provided green stamps on feed sold. Mother kept the books for the store and knew which farm families were having problems with no rain, hail, grasshoppers, etc. (This was back in the 50's). Come Christmas, she would use those green stamps to purchase warm coats for the farm kids who's parents had experienced insurmountable problems during the year. Dad became the banker for the farmers when the local bank refused to advance any more money. He would simply carry the account until a good crop finally came in. It is in this spirit that I am helping to organize a Harvest Celebration in Menomonie, WI in November. I provided a copy of this blog to the committee today. They would very much like your permission to frame it and display it at the event. Would you give us your permission to do that? The event will be at the historic Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts.
I grew up on a dairy farm that sounds just like this! My mom was just like you. I now wor for a bovine vet clinic to help give back to all the farmers.. tough as it is, my brother and sister, along with me thanked our parents for raising us this way. I am positive we didn't appreciate it at the time, but now grown we all are thankful for what the farm taught us ….plus my son loves hanging at grandpa's farm.
Thank you Olga! Please share it with anyone that you think needs to read it!
YES! That would be so awesome! I had no idea how this blog would be received & am completely overwhelmed by the support! Please if you could send me your email or message me on our FB farm page… I would love to chat with you!
Children tend to realize how good they had it growing up once they are grown… I know I sure did!
In the aftermath of the South Dakota storm, it is so obvious now what you have so eloquently put to words. Very little control over your world when you farm. Your world taken away in just hours due to the wrath of mother nature. As a farmer myself….a female version due to farm accident that took my farmer's life I can relate to every word you wrote. There is a lot of “The truth is” in this way of life.
You are very correct!
I grew up on a dairy farm and now live 7 miles away with my husband and 2 kids trying to make a go at farming/ranching! We do it because it is a way of life we love. You could not have written this any better!! What you wrote is the truth and the facts! Awesome writing!
Beautifully written. I came from a city & I married a farmer/rancher…never in my life I would thought to write huge checks either. Right now I am taking care of our 2 boys & waiting for my second one to grow a bit older so I can help my farmer/rancher again. It also irritates me how much people don't realize how much work us farmers/ranchers put in & it's 24/7. I will share this with the world…hope they will realize it one day & truly respect us.
Well said! and so so true…..sure love my farmer
What a great post, thank you! The truth is, direct marketing will set you free. The middle man and price control has bled dairy farmers dry.
Thank you for sharing this! I am not a farmer but do realize the sacrifice farmers make to provide for the community. We do support our local farmers as much as we can!
You Said It All When You Said “Its Their Way Of Life.”
As a farmhand (Dairy) I can feel your pain in many of the tragedies that occur with cattle. I've witnessed too often the death of calves and the loss of top producing cows. It seems to never be the low producing cow but always one of your better ones. Thanks for telling it like it is and thanks for hitting PUBLISH on this entry. 🙂
I just finished crying my eyes out because I know exactly how you feel! I have been married to my farmer for 17 years, 16 of those spent as a dairy farmer. He quit milking last year due to hip problems, but still crop farms and has introduced beef cattle, but there isn't anything is this world like the life of a dairy farmer. I feel blessed that we are raising our three boys on a farm and I wouldn't trade one minute of it. I love my farmer and I wish that more of the world understood just what a dairy farmer/farmer puts themselves through just to feed them. Thank you so much for sharing this and giving others a glimpse into our world!
Good for you! The small farmer needs to stand up and be counted. People don't realize that good food is only produced by good farmers and not the crap that is pushed out from factory “farming”. We support our local farms, dairies, egg ladies, etc. We just purchased some acreage and hope to have a few farm animals soon. Thank you for all that you do.
Kathryn
I chose not to be a farmer. You chose to be a farmer. I presume you knew what went into being a farmer before you became one? It is terribly hard work. Not sure why I need to “feel” those things you want me to “feel” when I buy food.. My job is hard too. My reward is my work. And money. Should that ever not be the case I will need to find something else to do. Why you need the validation of others to “feel” good about your chosen profession is beyond me. Best of luck to you. May it rain when you need it and not when you don't.
You obviously missed the point of the article… not to mention the part where I say I had no clue what I was getting myself into. You & I (as well as other farmers) have different goals in life. You choose to pursue money & we choose to pursue a way of life. I need no one to validate anything I do nor do I ask for it. My point is simply this… consumers are SO out of touch with what farmers do on a regular basis. They have no clue where their food comes from or who is putting it on their plates. There is a huge movement on the “right to know” where your food comes from… and farmers like myself are stepping up to show you. YOU as a consumer do need to know how it feels & what it takes to put food in the store for you to buy! Why? Because there are important issues right now that need to be addressed that are hurting farmers. Issues that are have the potential to put farmers/ranchers out of business. Articles like this are intended to put a face to these issues & maybe change the minds of those that think farmers are greedy, wealthy sitting on subsidies & beat their animals. You need to feel what it is like as a farmer & what we do on a daily basis you can understand the tremendous loss right now in South Dakota or what it is like for thousands of farmers that are unable to buy, sale or plant because of the furlough. Farmers just want you to know these things because topics like the Farm Bill are very important. You are not a farmer as you stated & you missed the whole point of this article…
Hi Kathryn!
Thank you for your comment & your support. With that said, I hope that you do not associate “factory farming” with the size of the farm. There are good farmers of all sizes & there are bad farmers of all sizes. I have been to many farms that most would consider “factory farming” and the animals were very well taken care of & the facilities were amazing. Not to mention that larger farms have access to thing us “small” guys only dream about. For me it is the calf facilities that I am always thinking… if only we had that! I am sure you & I have seen all the same videos that are very popular right now & can agree that there are some seriously things that need to be changed. BUT there are still SO many good farmers out there of all sizes that are getting a bad rap… and it is not fair. With that said, I am so happy for you guys to have your own land & best of luck to you in the future!!
Thank you!
Thanks John!
Thank you!
Exactly, now if we could only get consumers to realize this & change the way milk is priced… 😉
Thank you!
Thank you for what you do every day! Keep your head up!!
Thank you!
I have to agree with the anonymous post above. YOU may not have personally experienced what it was like to be a farmer; but your future spouse certainly did and I believe somewhere previously you had stated have a great-grandmother who owned/operated a dairy. So to claim complete ignorance to the difficulties of farming seems sketchy. Having read and re-read your 'feel farming' post it obviously, to this reader, comes across as a whiny, self-absorbed, bitch-fest. You commiserate that 'employees make costly mistakes', 'employees are expensive to pay', 'neighbors gossip' or 'neighbors are always calling you in for something', 'people always stop in to be nosey'……By posting and publishing (in a local newspaper, no less) you have given a lot of people the impression that farmers don't appreciate the consumers, which is totally false. This farmer doesn't expect the consumer to know what we go through to farm, nor do we expect them to feel the pain, sadness and defeat that often times comes with farming. We simply feel blessed to be able to do this as a life and make a living from it. It's not a great living by any means and most every other farmer I know has a spouse that either works just as many hours on the farm as they do or they have a full time job off the farm to help support the family and the farm. Running a business is hard work, running a farm is even harder, and it is thankless work most times. Get over it or get out of it.
You are exactly right… I did have a great grandmother who operated a dairy farm. A grandmother in which I hardly knew & didn't even know she milked cows until I was an adult. So I stand by what I say when I had no clue what I was getting into. As far as my list of things that farmers deal with on a daily basis… it was simply to show how many variables there are to farming. Not to mention that my employees have read this & liked the article. They know how much we appreciate them.
More then ever (and I would think as a farmer you would know this) farmers are needing to step up to and put a face to agriculture. AND showing consumers what we go through on a daily basis, why we do it & that we do it for them.
A perfect example is what is going on with the South Dakota ranchers. They have suffered tremendous losses.. some in which may never recover. Go read an article about what they are going through, better yet… skip the pictures of their dead herds, story of heartbreak & go right to the comments. You know those comments from consumers that are so appreciative for what farmers/ranchers do for them. They are so beyond heartless.
With that said (because I could continue)… I would never tell a fellow farmer to get over it or get out… and I most certainly would have their back.
I an a sheep farmers wife, you brought a tear to my eyes with all the truth in you story, thanks you for being so honest. Thanks
Peggy- How did your event go?
I feel I need to apologize for some of the negative comments posted above.You are correct that we need to support each other and rebrand agriculture in a more accurate light. You didn't choose farming, farming chose you, haha. As it has with most of us. Everyone complains about their jobs once in a while and everyone should have the right to. We do it for the way of life however we provide a valuable service that should be appreciated.
While travelling through New Zealand, I experienced what it is like to feel that appreciation. The country's main industry is agriculture and the majority of the population grew up on a farm or is only one generation away from a farmstead. The people recognize and understand the hard work that goes into what they eat and aren't afraid to say so. We were proud to say that we were farmers in Canada and it often opened up lots of conversations that didn't involve the prejudices we often experience in North America. It was inspiring and refreshing. Imagine if we treated our farmers the same way in North America. They would feel appreciated and continue to strive to produce safe, healthy products. Discontent and struggle breeds poorer quality products because the farmer's heart simply won't be in it.
I do have to make one comment on your title; The Farmer's Wife. I hate this classification. YOU ARE A FARMER! not just a farmer's wife. Your contributions are invaluable and needed for the survival of the farm. Women are excellent farmers, are just as involved in its operation, and their roles should not be marginalized. I take offense when I am referred to as a farmer's wife. I think it is an outdated term that needs to be retired if women are to gain respect and appreciation within this industry. Please consider changing this….
Thanks for providing others with insight into what it's like to live our lives. Cheers.
Thanks for taking time to write. I think it is very important for us farmers to write about the good & the bad in farming. Yes it is a way of life that we choose & I ended up choosing it by marrying a farmer. Even with it being the way of life… consumers are who keep up farming. Without them… there is no farm. I think it is very important for them to understand what we do, how we do & it that it flat just sucks the life out of us sometimes. If they do not hear our side of the story they are going to get it from outside sources like animal rights groups. Consumers are voting & allowing for (even in some cases… pushing) laws into affect that will either help farmers or hurt them. Right now there is so much going on right now & consumers are not listening to farmers… they do not understand our way of life & they want changes… some good & some bad… but mostly bad. Child labor laws for family farms, labeling, “ag gag”, etc…. We need to get our story out & that includes posts like this one.
On another note… I am proud to be the wife of my farmer. I do not feel like that is degrading whatsoever. If anything I wear more hats than my farmer & I know that I am vital role to our farm. When I meet people… I am a dairy farmer… my title on here is strictly for social media. I have no intentions of changing it.
Hope you have a great day!
What we need is for Monsanto to be shut down and eliminate GM foods and growth hormones. We need the feds to go after the people producing nutrient deficient, chemical laden food–not the little guy who dares to sell raw milk. If you happen to be the farmer who uses anything from the chemical companies and don't hate it, I have no respect for you. What you are feeding America is poison. And don't come to me saying I'm wrong if you can't prove yourself proof, because I can.
HOWEVER…if you're forced by the government to do this, got your seed contaminated, or an organic farmer…congratulations on being part of the reason America is still breathing. In my opinion, you deserve as much respect as those in the military, because hell can mean different things to different people.
I hope there comes a day when it becomes customary for the consumer to shake their farmer's hand and say thank you.
I don't mean to say that farming is always a living hell but i think you get what I'm saying. I've never had the chance yet in my life to farm, but I hope that someday I'll be able to experience it at the very least.
I will be reading more on you, you bring very valid points and those who are negative abut farmers and farming have no idea that they would not eat if it were not for farmers! Kind of hard that they cannot even see this very valid truth- I grew up in a farming community, although we ourselves did not farm, we were a large family and always had large gardens so I can respect the person who works the land, Truth be told the consumerist society does not want people to even consider growing their own food because they want people to by it all, so they teach them from an early age to disrespect farmers, sad world we live in when people can't even see how brainwashed they are!
Having just purchased a smalholding ourselves we will be growing/living off the land as much as possible, so my hat is off to you and I hope to read much more bout your endeavors!
Great article, and something I have also been wrestling with as a city girl turned farmers wife. I explore a lot of the same issues on my blog, http://www.PaintTheTownAg.com . It was great finding you today through the BEEF/Amanda Radke link!
Lauren
Our farm is not organic. The great thing about America is we do have choices. There are organic products that you can purchase if you feel conventional food is unsafe. There is conventional food for those that do not feel that it is un-safe. There are always two sides to every argument. Just because you feel one way doesn't mean that everyone else is going to feel the same way. One thing I would like to say is that it is incredibly frustrating for someone that has never farmed or stepped foot on a farm to tell me how I do things, that I am doing things wrong, that I need to change how I do things or to assume that I could change because another farm is doing it. There are reasons behind every choice a farmer makes. Every farm is different & has very different obstacles they face in order to continue farming. What works for one farm doesn't mean that it will work for another. With all that said, thank you for taking time to comment.
Thank you! Make sure to follow us on Facebook as well!
Hello! I can't wait to check out your blog! Could you post the link that you found me from? Thank you!