It’s National Farmers Day. To many people, farming is a simplistic occupation and the farmer a nice but traditional man who plants the seeds and harvests the crop. But when I look at my farmer, I see a man who has 100 jobs, a million responsibilities and a variety of skills that serve him in all aspects of the job.
As I watched my husband work on the combine this evening, I made a mental list of his many skills, responsibilities and titles. Here are just a few roles and responsibilities he carries while “farming”:
– A veterinarian, administering treatments to sick animals
– A mechanic, repairing broken farm vehicles
– A technician, fixing broken implements
– A gardener, tending to his plants and checking soil health and moisture
– A truck drive, moving crops and cattle down the road
– A cowboy, herding cattle and moving them to new pasture ground
– A welder, repairing broken fencing and equipment
– A caretaker, tending to sick animals and watching over newborn calves
– A nigh watchman, keeping track of the neighbors while he’s burning the midnight oil planting wheat or cutting soybeans
– A salesman, finding markets and opportunities for his grains and cattle
– A banker, managing his finances and planning for the next season
– An accountant, tracking purchases, paying bills and ensuring it all balances at the end of the day
– An investor, leveraging his equity in hopes of one day providing an opportunity for the next generation
– An advocate, standing up and speaking out for what he believes in
– A leader, donating his time to his church and community
– A son, watching his father and asking for advice along the way
– A father, showing his sons his passion for farming and the work ethic needed to make it in this industry
– A husband, providing for his family
– An agronomist, determining the seed variety best fit for the soil and region
– An environmentalist, protecting the ground and world around him while caring for the land they farm
– An engineer, using the tools and resources in his truck or tractor cab to craft a fix or render a solution to the problem
– An optimist, knowing the sun will come up and God will provide
In any given day, my husband is handling one if not all of these responsibilities. It’s all part of being a 21st century farmer. Farming is a way of life and farmer is a title bestowed only those determined and resilient enough to endure the hard times, long days and imperfect options.
Katie, Well thought out and nicely done—as are all of your blog posts. Your first paragraph nails it: Many people think of farmers and farming as a simple and traditional way of life when, in fact, in this day and age, it’s really a very complex undertaking and requires the “farmer” to be multi-skilled. I always look forward to and learn from your posts!