Life of a Farmer

Farmers have been an important part in the history of the United States. Farmers wrote the Declaration of Independence, farmers fought for independence, and our first president, George Washington was a farmer. From earliest times, farming life has been a busy life. More recently, the farmer working with advanced machinery, in contrast to working with horses and hand implements, needs to have knowledge of advanced technological education and business skills. Some of this knowledge is handed down from father to son. Otherwise it is gained through a special training program at a college or university.

The life of various farmers is different depending on the focus. Days in the life of the cattle farmer, poultry farmer, and dairy farmer are different. However, there are also similarities. For the most part, farmers are a restless people for there is so much to think about. Very seldom does one see a farmer with hands in the pocket. It is more normal to see a hammer, a rope, or a handful of grain in the hands. The tickling of the nose with hay dust, the sunburn from the hot sun (although some of this has lessened with the advent of the air-conditioned cabs on some of the machinery), the straw hats, and sturdy overalls are part of the farmer’s life.

The farmer maintains high spirits even though faced with unpredictable economics, environmental issues, and surprise weather factors such as hail. The pride of the farmer is usually not in monetary wealth but in family, in land, and in country.