Growing Up On A Farm

Growing up on a farm shaped me into who I am.

If someone were to ask me what experience has shaped my life and personality the
most, I would say, without hesitation, growing up on a farm. It was not always
as blissful and beautiful as people might picture. But it was emotional and 
educational, and made me who I am today. I loved it! I was able to work 
alongside family, watching the sunrise and sunsets, being surrounded by 
animals, Mother Nature and all of God's creations...nothing can beat the  
memories of  your upbringing. 

I learned responsibility at a young age. Animals depended on you to feed
them, and I understood the importance of my daily chores. No farm kid grows
up without learning responsibility. I developed a strong work ethic. From 
working the livestock to building fence, to cleaning the horse stall and gathering 
the eggs from the chicken coop each morning. Every farm kid knows not to ask
Mom or Dad if you can go hang out with friends until the chores are done for the
day. Probably my least favorite rule growing up was that we had to have all tasks
taken care of before we left to go over to a friends or a movie. I also knew that I 
had to be home in plenty of time to get a good night's sleep to start all over again
in the morning. Even if I didn't make my curfew I still had to get up at the crack of 
dawn. I could outwork most of my peers. And of course if someone told me I couldn't
do something...that made me even more determined to prove them wrong. (I'm still 
that way). 

There are certain things you learn at a very early age not to do around livestock, or
you will get in serious trouble and a cussing. No running, jumping, or fast movement
around the livestock. There are other things you are expected to know, you treat your livestock like they're your babies and your horses even better. Never get between a mama cow and her baby calf, and never get behind a bull "they kick". Never yell when working with livestock, and most of all never leave the gate open. Know how to read your livestock when pregnant. Know how to pull a baby blindfolded. Know where all flashlights and batteries are for the same event. Learn to drive at a early age and pull a trailer…

I learned how to drive a truck and tractor and ride a horse at an early age. I also learned to pull a 24-foot gooseneck stock trailer, and learn to back it up. Know what a “wedge” is and where to find one. Never choke down a truck, tractor or anything else. Don't get anything stuck in the mud. You should know how deep it is before you cross it. It's never fun to tell you are stuck.
Know how to pick out a socket wrench, an open-ended wrench, an adjustable wrench, a washer, and “this size bolt” from a five-gallon bucket of rusty tools at any time. Always have lots of duct tape and WD-40 on hand. Be ready to fix the fence at any time. Don't have a smart mouth.
I learned to understand life and death. You’ve seen the births of animals and developed an understanding of the circle of life at a young age. If you didn’t plan on keeping the animal don’t name it.
I’m not afraid of a little dirt. Always wear work clothes on the farm and not your Sunday go to meeting clothes.
I shared my family’s passion for country living and farming /ranching. Everyone in the family was expected to help and know each of their responsibilities. Also be ready for your chores to change because the animals may have a different idea of what the chores will be that day.
I loved listening to my parents and grandparents stories about the farm back in the old days and seeing their faces light up. Family stories are part of your heritage. They have so much to teach us if we would just listen.
Patience is a necessity; “Good things come to those who wait” must have first been said by a farmer. In other professions there are deadlines, goal-setting, and board meetings. In farming only hard work, time, and patience can better your farm.
There are times it can be frustrating when a piece of equipment isn’t working correctly or a cow or goat just won’t cooperate. Or you miss out on social time to help on the farm, but it is usually worth it. Hard work goes a long way and we get to see the reward once our goals are achieved We cannot force everything, sometimes it just takes time and love to figure out the problem. When I was a little kid I always had so much respect for my dad when something went wrong. He remained calm and handled the problem at hand. I try to follow his example by not stressing and by remaining calm. You know the older I get I have to step back and tell myself to let it go...
Respect will be second nature. When children are raised on a farm, they will learn to have respect for Mother Nature, family, and God. Mother Nature cannot be tamed or coaxed into a sunny day. If she wants to let it rain and flood everything, she will. The only thing you can do is pray for is a break in the weather so you can fix what is broken and hope for a better season. The weather is one of the biggest factors for the end result for farmers and ranchers. Respect for others becomes a cornerstone into who we are. Moms teach their children to not only respect others, but to walk a mile in their boots, and not to judge those who grew up differently than you.

I am carrying on the love for agriculture with my husband Stace today. We have a deep love for the land and connection to nature. Our children know the farm life and come back home when they can to help out. You know that's love!
We go to bed early so we are able to rise and shine in the morning. One thing about growing up around the farm, I learned the meaning of love. It takes a certain love to wake up every morning to go feed livestock in freezing weather. The same type of love that pulls you out of bed at 2 a.m. to go repair a fence when one of the animals broke through. This love grows even more every time a farmer makes a sacrifice to go out and work on behalf of his family. A farmer knows that every action has a consequence and product. Without choosing to do things that aren’t always easy or comfortable, farmers show a great gift of love and opportunity to provide for their family. Work, work, work, all day long.
Although it’s not a lifestyle for everyone, I wouldn’t change my childhood or my life now for the world. Growing up on a farm instills qualities that cannot be learned in a different setting.
You are a part of the land you work. Pray a lot and go to church because you are at the mercy of the good Lord. Respect God's creation because you have never been so close to it as you are on a farm.​

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Blessings,
Margarita & Stace