To Farm or Not to Farm

Late last night I recorded an interview with Max Armstrong regarding this Faces of Farming & Ranching deal that has somewhat taken over our lives. He asked me some of the usual questions: why do you want to do this? What do you feel about this disconnect between farmers and consumers? What is your cliff notes answer to the question, ‘why biotech?’

Then he asked a question I’ve never been asked before. ‘Considering all the challenges farmers face from changing consumer attitudes to government regulations to fluctuating markets, have we ever thought of encouraging of kids to seek a career path other than farming?’

I paused. I stammered. I stumbled. Tell my son he shouldn’t farm?

Now let’s put this in perspective: Ethan is seven and Natalie is five, so obviously they have a lot of time to discover what they want to do when they grow up. And My Farmer and I have already established we will support our kids in their life endeavors whether they choose to farm or dance or study dolphins or design clothes. But to discourage them from joining the farm because the challenges are just too great; that has never crossed our minds. At least not yet and I hope it never will.

The challenges we face and our responses to them can only make us better individuals and better farmers. We are a resilient group of people and I explained to Max that if the day ever came where we were forced to change our methods, we would survive; we would learn to farm differently; we would be okay.

Each day on the farm is one of constantly changing parameters. If it’s not the weather then it’s the markets. If it’s not the government then it’s the activists. If Ethan and Natalie choose to farm, they will learn to cope, to change, to face the challenges and persevere. They will learn to farm and they will be okay.

Read more 30 Day blogs starting with My Generation. And follow more of my 30 Days of the Not So Glamorous Life of this Farm Wife: