Looks like you found yourself a passionate man who loves his job! You know how I know that? Because he is a farmer! And these guys (and gals) LOVE their job. They have to. If they didn’t absolutely love their job then they sure as heck wouldn’t put up with all the crap they do to get a decent crop. My Farmer adores farming, and he has a special spot in his heart for something I had never even thought of until I spent that first afternoon sitting on his buddy seat in the john deere tractor. Straight rows. Yep, you read that right. He is obsessed with them. When we drive down the road together between all the fields he makes a comment about it every. single. time.
“Dang! those straight rows look nice don’t they?”
“Woops, must have answered the phone right there.”
“Yikes it really dives to the left there doesn’t it?”
And one time he even went so far as to ask me not to drive out to the field because he was so embarrassed about his crooked rows. I’m like “Babe I don’t even notice the rows seriously.” The day he finally got GPS installed on one of the tractors (which is supposed to be perfectly straight rows within inches) he spent ALL day testing it out. It’s the cutest thing really.
Anyways, enough about my farmer. What you really want to know is what to expect from the farm life now that you have married one.
So what’s it like? What’s it REALLY like? With a few years of experience under my belt now, I thought I would share what people just starting out on their farming journey should expect.
First off, let me say that farm life is a very demanding but rewarding thing for everyone involved whether you’re the farmer, the farmer’s wife, the farm kids, the farmer’s best friend, or the farmer’s worms out in the field. There are physical demands, mental demands, demands on your time, even emotional demands. But in my opinion, the rewards are just as huge. Expect to have huge demands and huge rewards.
Farms are ruled by the weather. As much as I would love to control it, no one can tell the weather what to do. Last year we had an insanely early and HOT spring that never ended it just morphed into scorching summer. Because of this, Farmer worked longer hours then normal to try and keep the crops alive. The year before that, Farmer was out harvesting wheat when a huge rain storm rolled in and for two whole days we got to hang out with the family because there was nothing that could be done while it rained cats and dogs. And a few years before that, we got an early and big snow storm that pushed the harvest back from November clear until the end of January. Expect that the weather will always be changing the farm and the farmer’s schedule.
A farmer’s work hours are unlike any other job. On our farm, November, December, January, and February are very flexible and significantly less hours. This is when we take our family vacations and Farmer can come with us bowling, or shopping, and take a few days off here and there. March, April, and May are long hours spent planting and getting the water going. It’s not uncommon for Farmer to work 14 hour days during this time. Summer months are all over the place. Work days range from 10-20 hours. And Finally, the fall months …… ah harvest, beautiful harvest! ….. Again with the long hours because when the crop is ready to harvest even a day or two can mean all the difference. Farmer usually works until he can’t stay awake any longer or if he is taking the crop to a storage shed, quitting time is whenever those guys close up shop. Then it’s winter and we do it all over again yay! Expect long and unpredictable hours during the growing season.
Now I know what you are thinking. “The weather is demanding…. the work hours are demanding …. Lady you said there were rewards! Where are the rewards?!?!”
The rewards to expect from the farm life:
If you are planning to raise a family, there is no better place than a family farm to do it, in my opinion. The reasons are endless but here are just a few: Your kids learn to work, Your family grows closer together and closer to God by working together on the land, Your kids learn life lessons, science, all about plants and animal life, and SO MUCH MORE just by being on the farm. I could go on and on forever about raising a family on a farm. Actually I do go on and on forever! That’s what this entire blog is about!
You can go see your husband at work almost anytime you want.
Your kids can go to work with dad far more than most jobs.
Expect to be happier. It is a proven fact that spending time outdoors and in nature makes you happier.
Farming is a physical job for the whole family. Your bodies will thank you by staying healthy and fit.
And let’s not forget the little things
Watching the sunset in a freshly plowed field, YUM!
The first time your baby points a chubby finger and says “combine” with squeals of delight is unforgettably adorable.
And last but not least … Handsome farm husbands look REAL GOOD driving a big tractor (at least mine does!)
Phew! There are a million and one other things that farm life will include but I think I covered some of the big ones. I hope you love your farm life as much as I love mine! Let me know how your journey is going!
~Farmer’s Wife
