I love this picture! It’s not often I take the time to reflect on the life we have chosen to give to our children. Part of that is because I grew up in this lifestyle.
Being raised on a farm doesn’t come without its sacrifices for our kids. Your parents can’t take “sick” days from taking care of the livestock. During the spring months there is not much time for anything other than preparing the seedlings to start, getting the garden beds ready to plant, fertilizing the soil, repairing pasture fencing, and fixing/maintaining the farm equipment and animal housing. In the summer there is no summer vacation as every day the animals need to be fed and barn chores need to be done. The animals do not “sleep in” so that means neither do we. Weeds are a weekly family project in the garden beds, the lawns need frequent cutting, the pastures need to be trimmed down to keep the weeds down. Fall is spent harvesting, preserving, freezing, and selling the extras of things we have grown.
But the sacrifices allow for life lessons preparing these kids for their futures. They learn responsibility, compassion, empathy, determination and the circle of life very early on.
They learn to respect the earth and animals with a very deep connection. These things provide them with the reward of food grown from a seed, fresh eggs daily and freedom to enjoy the simple things like riding a horse through the beautiful woods.
It also prepares them for their later teenage years. Both of these kids have been driving and working farm tractors, 4 wheelers, snowmobiles and a golf cart since they were 3 years old. They understand the power a machine has and the dangers involved with a careless decision.
They can prepare their own meals, make bread, can vegetables and fruits, and make pies. In other words, they will be able to feed themselves for the rest of their lives without assistance if need be.
All of this makes the vacations and trips they do get to enjoy even better.
And the time we spend on our boat, camping out in our cabin on the farm, enjoying family time around our nightly bonfires and making lasting memories is where I find my happiness.
And that sums up why I love the above image explaining why being raised a farm kid is the best gift ever!
chase n chance ranch 