Once upon a time...

For decades "once upon a time" has been used to begin stories, usually fairytales, to introduce us to the enchanted characters and the "happily ever after" that the story leads up to.  I consider my life a fairytale.  No, I'm not princess, I don't have a fairy Godmother, there are no castles or crowns and I will never have a Royal Wedding.  However, it only seems appropriate to start my story with a "once upon a time" as I consider farm life as close to a fairytale as they come.  
So this is the start of my story; I hope that you will take a walk with me through the everyday life of a farmer's daughter, I can promise each and everyday will have something new and exciting to offer you, as farming always does.


So back to the story...


Farming is just like a fairytale, the main characters in the story often face trials and tribulations just as the main characters of any fairytale.  Often life rewards a farmer each and every day, God provides us of small indicators almost each day to remind us of why we love what we do.  Whether it is a healthy new baby calf on the ground, a new crop coming up through the soil, or a full field of round bales during harvest, it seems that there are small rewards everywhere you turn.  

Of course, as in any fairytale, there are hard times faced to get to the reward.  Since I was young I have experienced many of these hard times with my father and grandfather.  From droughts to extremely wet conditions, a healthy cattle market to BSE, issues in bio-security and traceability, and unfair, false media portrayal.  These things are discouraging, however, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and even though a farmer may be struggling through a hard time, there are always small rewards and benefits during the hard times.  


My father and grandfather have always set a great example for me, as even through the tough times they continue to work hard and try to see the best in every situation.  It is always better to look at the glass as half full, rather than half empty.  They have taught me hard-work, dedication, passion, and a love for faith, family and farming, above all else.  


On Sunday mornings my father and grandfather get up extra early to get the chores done so they can join the rest of the family at church. They never lose sight of the things that are most important in life.  They never lose sight of their goals and their dreams.  They don't let work get in the way of their family time, but that's because family time involves the farm.  The farm is something that we can do as a family.  It is more than a job; it is our way of life. I feel so blessed to wake up every morning and know that my father and grandfather are just outside.  


In a fairytale the prince never loses sight of his goal.  When the prince sees the dragon guarding the castle, he doesn't give up and go home, he battles with all he has, and eventually his hard work is rewarded in a huge way.  This is the same as farming.  When there is a drought on the land, a farmer can't just throw down his gloves and head home, he has to try and get a crop, being innovative on ways to feed the cattle that year, and just pray that the next year will bring good moisture, and eventually the hard work pays off.


Farming is a fairytale.  It is rewarding and fun, and it is a job that each member of the family can take part in.  We love our animals just as much as a young child loves their dog.  We care about the environment and we pride ourselves in being stewards of the land.  I can't think of a more picture perfect, happy ending, then sitting around a fire with family after a long day, watching the sun set, hearing the birds chirp and watching the baby calves in the pasture play.  We have endless room to run and grow, and my closest neighbor is a pen of 4-H calves.  How can it get much more perfect?  
  
To give you just a couple of fairytale examples...


Sleeping Beauty:
I am sure many of you know the story of Sleeping Beauty, locked high in the tower of a castle, waiting to be saved by a noble prince.  Just as Sleeping Beauty was stuck high in a tower of a castle awaiting rescue, so are the farm kittens every year stuck high in the hay loft, awaiting rescue to the ground level by the noble prince, my dad. 

Baby kittens on our farm, awaiting rescue from their noble prince, the farmer

Cinderella:
One of the most famous fairytales, of a Princess adventuring somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.  Had Cinderella not lost her shoe on the steps, no one would have ever found out that she had been to the ball, where she was not supposed to go.  Just as Cinderella broke rules and got caught from a lost shoe, as do little country princesses as they adventure into deep puddles in corrals and fields.  Even though they are told to stay out of the deep puddles, the farmer can always tell the princesses have been there...

... often a little boot is sacrificed in a mud puddle.  A small, muddy foot is often found not far from the boot.  The farmer is able to reunite his little Cinderella with her missing shoe.  


I hope you enjoyed the beginning of this fairytale, and I encourage you to continue following the story.  If there are any requests for pictures or stories of the farm, or any questions on how we do things, let me know, I would be more than happy to feature an explanation on a certain piece of machinery or a technique that farmers use! 


Have a good day everybody!!!  


Sam