Lessons from the farm

     Last week was National Agriculture Week....and I was going to find an agricultural quote for each day to reflect upon. But as I began this task (two days late I will add), I found that quality quotes were more difficult to come by this year, mostly because I used all the awesome ones last year. So, instead, I'm going to reflect on some lessons I've (okay, we, Ethan and I) learned from the farm.

Lesson #1: One handed driving, and checking the rearview mirror often.
Fluffing on the tractor requires one to drive with the left hand, and operate the hydraulics (it's what lifts the fluffer up and down) with the right hand. Granted, some rows are so long there is enough time to bring both hands to the wheel, but there are others that it's mere seconds before the fluffer has to be lifted again. So, after a few years of practice in this left handed driving, I had to force myself to use both hands during driver's ed, and often get scolded by Mom when she's in the car and I'm driving because I don't use both hands and tend to only use my left. Is it my fault I had to fluff all the time?? But, during driver's ed I also got bonus points for looking in the rearview mirror a lot, also another fluffing habit....

Lesson #2: Independence.
There are a million jobs around a farm that have to be done by two or more people, but there are a million more jobs that are one-person jobs. We learned at a young age what those jobs were, how to do them to Dad's satisfaction the first time, and what it meant to actually be done. That independence is what has allowed me to be successful in school, pursue an internship across the country, complete thirty job applications during said internship, and have my first "real" job.

Lesson #3: Responsibility.
It is these same jobs which have taught me responsibility. Those jobs and my own projects I suppose, but those projects such as my pigs would not have been possible if we didn't live on a farm. Mom pounded into our heads "You don't eat or drink until your animals do," and if it wasn't feeding and watering that needed to be done, it was cleaning or walking, or washing. She still nagged me when I was 18, but realistically by this time she did it out of habit, not necessity (just admit it Mom, don't try and deny it. Ethan on the other hand, we know he's a different story....). I learned to put others above myself, but also follow through which has proven to be important more often than not.

Lesson #4: Work ethic.
Nothing around a farm gets accomplished without putting 110% into it. Along with independence and responsibility, we learned that in order to truly accomplish anything we had to work hard. With each harvest we, along with everyone else working that summer, had to work hard and do our part. This lesson also came from working with my pigs. It took seven years with lots of practice for me to be called back in market classes. Here was a seventeen-year-old girl jumping, quite literally, for joy because she got a market call back, not even that she made it into the top ten or fifteen. Then, when I won fitting and showing, woo, everyone kept their distance for a couple of minutes. The next year when, with a two-week-old broken ankle, I managed to show my pig well enough to earn reserve market, that's when I truly proved to myself what work ethic could do. That, and how helpful a little brother can be when he wanted to be, *cough* had to be be.

Lesson #5: Negotiating.
Part of this lesson comes from being a George, and part of it just from my family's nature. The George blood runs thick with the "BS talent,"of course, I wasn't quite lucky enough to get much of it, but I do have red hair and that helps in the being stubborn and not giving up an argument department. Negotiating takes talent and practice, and growing up with my cousins and brother, I got lots of practice. I also practiced this lesson when I was suppose to be fluffing, but had other obligations as well. Much like tonight when I had barely walked in the door and Dad says, "I'll make ya a deal -- a tank of gas for some tractor work." Well, I already have plans for a couple of days, and have to get some other things done as well, but I think we might work something out. It's with a big tractor though, and I hate driving the big tractors. They don't turn as well as the little one, even if it doesn't have a cab, heat or radio.

Lesson #6: Family is not just related by blood.
There have been more times than not that I've needed help, and it hasn't been from my parents or aunts and uncles. It's been from our neighbors, our extended family if you will. I can't think of just one example because there are too many of them, but as I've become exposed to other people's lives and cultures, I have learned just what it means to be surrounded by people who treat you like family even if they're not. And this comes from those living across the state as well, not just our small community or county. I've done my fair share of traveling to fairs, graduations, etc, and while these people are my friends, I treat them as well as I treat my family because they welcome me with open arms. I've had more "sleep overs" in my late teens and early adulthood than I did as a child, I'm almost certain.

Lesson #7: The real boss is Mom.
No, I'm not kidding with this one. The farm may have been handed down through Dad's family, have his name on the barn, but let's be honest, Mom is the real boss. I walked in the door last night as Mom and Dad were sitting down to dinner, and I was going to make another trip to unload the car. Mom says, "Your dad will help you." Awesome, for once he can be MY slave labor (another story). "What, what do you mean I can help her? My food will get cold." So, he negotiated, refer to Lesson #5, to unload the car after he ate. When the time came, he whined, but as soon as Mom started to tell him to get up and help, that's exactly what he did. There was no arguing then. And, any time something needs to get done right away, well, you let Mom know so it will get done because there isn't much that gets passed her....she even set the date for branding this year, much like she has in the past. But this time, and this is the funny part, when I asked Dad about when branding was (because you can't miss branding, it's the social event of the spring!) he said he had no clue, that my mother was setting it up and he was told he would be informed. Gosh, who knew the farm wife did so much? Although, we all know we wouldn't be alive now if it weren't for her, so thank goodness we have an awesome boss :)