It is so hard to believe that fall is over. Harvest is nearing completion or complete for most. During busy times on the farm, planting and harvest specifically, I think there are numerous tasks, gestures and even entire days that we take for granted. I think that a good percentage of us get so wrapped up into our daily tasks and checklists among all other life happenings and truly forget all the small, meaningful things that really are our biggest and greatest blessings.
I’ve said it before, but it rings so true for all of us in the farming world – we have our daily chores that need to be done, such as the animals needing fed, watered and milked twice a day, every single day, even weekends and holidays. In addition to those daily necessities, there are always never-ending to-do lists on the farm, and we try to accomplish as many of those extras as possible each day. Some days, we have the unexpected arise and we never make it to anything past our daily chores. That’s OK too. I feel that days or even weeks can pass by with all our checklists needing crossed off, and we fail to remember why we do what we do and what an honor and privilege it is to do our daily “work.”
A prime example of this as farmers is getting to work outside daily. There are so many people with office jobs who look so forward to their lunch break to be able to take a short walk outside or feel like they miss most of the summer for spending 40-plus hours a week inside. As farmers, we are given the opportunity daily to take in the fresh air, enjoy the sunshine and get to freely enjoy every single day in the outdoors doing our work. We might wish for a heated office in the dead of winter when it’s snowing and blowing, but to get to spend most of our time soaking in nature is truly something we need to appreciate.
Being able to work alongside family is another opportunity most farmers have that is an extra gift. Most employees spend a good chunk of their time away from family throughout the week. As a farmer, getting to work daily with family and having extra time to set aside to showing family how the operation works and teaching the next generation about farming and what all goes into it daily is something I will never take for granted. Being able to farm daily with my husband and his family, and work cattle at another facility alongside my family regularly, are privileges that most don’t get to experience in their work careers.
Finally, getting to care for animals that are producing food products to feed the world is such an amazing thing. Being the caretaker of these food animals and getting to oversee their daily care, treat them when they’re ill and see them live out their best lives is really an honor. Being able to see their care reflect into the product they produce that then enters the food supply chain and see it nourish individuals and have food be the focus of family gatherings and holidays and know that all that work that went into making that product is nothing short of amazing. Being able to produce food and know the entire cycle of it and know that it is a wholesome, well-produced product is such a brightness in farming. Especially when some days are tough, as we might ask ourselves if all the hard work and extra effort is truly worth it.
As we are entering into the holiday season, I challenge you to pick out a couple of things that you do daily that you hardly even think twice about and start focusing on what a privilege those tasks or chores really are. Thinking of them as something you get to do versus something you have to do is really a mind-changing experience. From one farmer to another, thank you for all that you do daily to provide a product that we can nourish our mind and body with and that allows us to feed the world.
