Lessons on the Farm-Raising Boys in the Country
It should come as no surprise that raising your children on a farm comes with a lot of teachable moments. It actually does for everyone. However I’d like to focus this post on lessons my kids have learned since moving to the farm. I also hope to make “Lessons on the Farm” a series to share all sorts of things we’ve learned, but I’ll go ahead and start with the boys.
We’ve officially lived on the farm for 18 months, and not only that, but we’ve lived in a very small house the duration of that time. That means that when able, we spend a lot of time outside which is how we like it anyways. Having room to roam is by far the biggest perk to living out of town. We take walks to the river all year long, swim in the river during the summer, the boys play on the hay bales and build forts, they have dirt piles aplenty to excavate, they have their own sledding hills, and they ride bikes down our country roads without any fear of traffic. It really is a magical way to grow up, and I hope that it continues to develop a love for the outdoors for my sons. Anytime I hear them utter the phrase, “I’m bored,” they get kicked outside. That doesn’t mean that they don’t enjoy screen time, especially in the cold winter months, but expecting them to play outside as much as possible is something that will hopefully serve them later in life.
Living on a farm also comes with chores. They are expected to help with the chickens and their dog, they help me in the garden when asked, and they also help with the day to day operations of the farm in the summer. This might mean they irrigate with dad and help close pipe gates. They have had to pick up sticks and rocks out of the fields. My oldest is capable of driving our ranger so he often times will drive it with the pipe trailer as Kevin and I load or unload pipe. He also will give rides to and from the fields when it’s required. The boys also spend a decent amount of time in the tractor with us during haying season, and although they are too young to drive tractors, it won’t be long until they help out in that regard as well. Farming and family go hand in hand and it’s one of my favorite aspects of living on a farm.
One of my favorite things the boys are learning is how to be good stewards of the land. “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” I hold this ancient Native American proverb close to me as sustainable farming is always at the forefront of our hay operation. Through our example and practices, our kids too learn how to farm in a responsible manner. It is my hope that this farm remains in the family for many generations, but that will not be possible if not properly cared for and maintained. The farm itself not only teaches them this lesson, but we really do try to teach them sustainability as often as we can. They understand that we use the chicken poop to fertilize the garden, and that our food scraps and garden helps to feed the chickens and in turn, we are rewarded with eggs. They have requested their own garden plots this year to plant whatever seeds they want, and I am happy to make that a reality for them! We have cattle at my in-laws ranch and through that they learn animal stewardship. My husband hunts and soon they will have that option too if they’d like. It is important to me that they understand where food comes from. There is such a disconnect between people and their food, and I worry what the long term effects of that will be. I also want to raise self-sufficient humans because there is value in knowing that you can provide basic necessities for yourself and family.
My hope is that the knowledge they gain on the farm serves them wherever life takes them. Country kids are pretty dang lucky in my opinion even if they get put to work at a fairly young age.