Last week I had a radio interview and I had a great, thought provoking question to answer. It took me a few minutes to really think about and I had to put some real thought into it. I may not come from a farming background, though I did have some experience in the ag industry I found it tough to answer- but also a nice reminder to myself!
The question was “What was the greatest misconception you had about farming before you married a farmer?”
My answer:
The biggest misconception before I entered the industry was probably the amount of time and effort that goes into providing for the world’s food. I knew a lot about agriculture- but I was solely a consumer. It is completely different to go from being only a consumer to becoming a producer. I never understood the amount of time it takes away from a farm and a family to plant crops. Or the amount of people it takes to make harvest run smoothly and efficiently. Especially during harvest when personal lives are put on hold for a few months. The science behind it I understood, but seeing it in action is a completely different story. And then you add cattle into the mix. My husband and his two brothers work long days, but when it is calving season it makes for long nights too. When we got married I found out there is no “good” time of year to marry a farmer. In the fall there are 3 months for harvest, in the spring 2 months for planting. The winter you are always moving snow if you have cattle, and in the summer you fix everything that has been too cold to fix through the winter! So, we simply picked a day in November, hoping Harvest would be almost complete, and when it wasn’t we took a break for the weekend for the wedding and on Monday got right back in the combines. Life is always busy for a farmer.
The follow up question was “What was the greatest misconception you deal with now being a farmer?”
The misconception I deal with most now is the fact that some consumers think we don’t care for our animals well being and for the condition of our land- which is far from the truth. Farming is our life, our love, and our livelihood.
I never truly realized how much effort and work goes into having a hamburger until I married my farmer. I took advantage of going to the grocery store and having those foods right at my finger tips. Now, I know that 10% of the American income is spent on food, which is the most affordable in the world, and that 98% of farms are family owned. I am proud to be a producer that offers the most affordable food in the world, and most definitely proud to be a part of a farming family.
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