After a dozen years of marriage living on my hubby’s family farm I’ve come to believe fully that farming is a way of life.  It is more than a job and requires not only dedication from those who are actively working the land but those who commonly are in support roles such as the wives and children.  I present you with a list of things that no doubt most women on farms can relate to…whether you’re a wife of a farmer or run your own independent operation!

You might be a farmer’s wife IF…

Your kids have John Deere (or Case IH) attire as staples in their wardrobe:  John Deere backpack – check.  Hat – check.  Cute John Deere shirts and socks – check.   Likely the adults all have gear also!  We’re proud of the equipment that helps us feed the world!

You’ve had a “date” sitting in either a tractor or 18-wheeler:  At 38 weeks pregnant I was riding shotgun in an Kenworth semi-truck late on a Friday night to the grainery.  Yeah, nothing says romance like unloading a thousand bushels of soybeans.  During harvest season the combine rarely stops unless the weather halts progress.  Luckily for many, larger tractors have quite a roomy cab with an extra “buddy” seat!

You get calls to help the hubby move from one field to the next:  You know the name and location of all the fields/farms.  You’ve also followed a tractor at 15mph with hazard lights blazing like connect the dots from each field to the next.  Many times as I check in with my Farmer at the end of my workday he responds with, “will you pick me up at (fill in the blank) farm and take me to (fill in the blank) farm?”  It took ages to mentally map out where all the various farms are located and some days I still need reminders.  Farms are typically named after the previous family who owned the land or landmarks like a water tower or power line.  Because of urbanization, farmland is becoming more and more challenging to secure resulting in many farmers traveling lengthy distances to reach their crops.

Your house is a die-hard fan of your state’s land-grant university:  In 1862 Abraham Lincoln and the US Government passed the Morrill Act mandating every state of the union to establish at least one land grant university with the primary focus to be on research and training in the fields of agriculture and engineering.  Ever wondered what the A & M in Texas stood for?  Agriculture and Mechanics!  Ever heard of NC A&T?  Agriculture and Technology!  Did you know agriculture was a focus at such schools as Clemson, UGA, Auburn, University of Kentucky, Purdue, and The Ohio State just to name a few?  In our house we will always #backthepack and not just because that is where I first fell in love with my Farmer.  Nope…it is because the amazing support and future advancements as a land-grant university that will help us feed and clothe the world are being researched there!

Your child’s toy box includes a model sprayer, backhoe, combine, livestock trailer, fifth wheel truck, and various tractor models:  There hasn’t been a birthday or Christmas that we didn’t add another to the collection.  They become staples as does the set of play hay bales, barn-yard animals, and fencing to make it all complete.  Lord help us escape out of the Tractor Supply without buying another one of those models they strategically placed near the cash registers!

You know your best bet to schedule a family vacation is in late Winter:  Ugh.  Though every farm is unique in their operations, the common “down-time” if any falls during the coldest and dreariest part of the year when everything is dormant.  Our operation summary looks something like this:  Jan – financial paperwork and mending equipment and fences, Feb/March – field prep such as mowing/spraying/cleaning debris, April – planting corn/soybeans, May – fertilizing, planting soybeans, June – wheat harvest, July – spraying soybeans and cutting hay, August/September – harvesting corn and cutting hay again, October – cleaning up from the corn harvest and planting wheat, November – soybean harvest, December – tying up loose ends with the harvest and equipment maintenance.  In addition all along the way we fit in caring for our livestock too! 

You can distinguish the difference between diesel fuel, oil, and nitrogen just by the scent:  One whiff as he enters the house can tell you a lot about his day.  Some days the smell is so strong he puts his clothes straight into the washer.

You’re a pro at getting livestock back into the pasture by any means necessary:  You know the power of your horn as you angle your vehicle just right to block the animals from crossing the road.  You know the limits of your car before it’ll get stuck in the ditch trying to chase them back in.  You know that when all else fails you grab a bucket of oats and they will follow you, but you’re careful to not let the livestock get too close to you because the animals don’t know their own strength and could cause harm.

You don’t own a pair of shoes that hasn’t stepped in manure:   Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?  Maybe you were on your way to work when you saw a weak calf laying in the pasture…maybe while running late you realize you forgot to gather eggs from the coop…or the ever classic situation where you didn’t have time to switch into work boots when you discover the ewe needed birthing assistance checking in on the way to church. When duty calls you respond with the shoes and clothing as afterthoughts.

You purchase boots because of necessity, not because it is trendy:  Speaking of work boots, your boots have seen real action (as has likely your sneakers, heels, and sandals, reference above).  You’ve broken them in through manual labor instead of just shopping at the mall.  However, you’re not afraid to wear them out in public, you just try to find an exposed tree root to scrape the bottoms off real good first!

 

Women in production agriculture have evolved in recent generations and many now have a more active role in their family’s operation in supporting daily progress and long-term goals.  We laugh and we cry as we live out our marriage vows – “For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health.”  Check out this video to hear from some of America’s celebrated farm moms explain in their own words why through it all they love their role!

“Your every action must be done with love.” ~ 1 Corinthians 16:14