By Lauren Schwab

When it rains it storms and when it storms, tempers fly. While farm life can be romanticized, it is nothing short of hard work and more so when were hard headed. Farming with family has its rewards and trials. When working on a farm each day is the unknown. You can plan your day out and something will always turn your plans another way. Whether it be an equipment break down, the weather, animals who don’t want to walk in or out of their pens, it all can lead to frustrating moments and words being said in the heat of those moments. My dad, my brother and I all say things we regret. Whether it be by yelling or saying things to put down the other for making a mistake. It’s in those moments we cry out to God for him to clean up our mess and ask for forgiveness.

I tell you this to let you know farmer’s are normal. We are real people with stress, emotions, regret and hope. We just happen to raise your food for a living and our lives depend on what the weather, land and animals do each day. As each generation farms, it is with hope the next generation will do the same. During hard times physically, mentally and financially, there is always fear that enters the mind of a farm child. Can I do what dad does? How does he handle it? How can I handle it? What would it be like to live a normal life? Do I want a normal life? I just want things to be good and all I know is God is good.

Anytime I am not in the barn, I feel like I should be. Dad has devoted his life to this and needs me. I want to be devoted to, and I let distractions enter that get me off course, but I always return. Farming is what I know and the foundation for who I am. If you are a farmer you understand all of this and it brings forth your own memories and thoughts of distress. Yet, during those times of distress, faith, love and hope always come out in the end. Then tomorrow comes and it is a new day for plans to be broken. For the to-do list to be added to as fast as it is crossed off. Just when you feel like giving up, you dig some more and look into the eyes of the animal or person that needs you to keep giving. So while what happens on the farm may stay on the farm, it also what keeps me there.