It was National Agriculture Week a few weeks ago, and the small town where we have our lake cabin is surrounded by farms. In celebration, the local newspaper featured interviews of local farmers, which made for interesting reading.
Here are a few observations about how farming has changed for these seasoned farmers, all well into their 70s and 80s, and who have farmed all their lives.
- One of the biggest changes is GPS guided farm equipment.
- Another – farmers now use computers to run their farms.
- Automatic steering. (I remember when my brother-in-law got air conditioning in the enclosed cab of his combine. He thought he’d died and gone to heaven. I imagine he felt the same way about automatic steering.)
- Irrigation and technology use has changed dramatically.
Back in the day, tractors were built to last. One farmer has a tractor that has been in operation for 71 years. (Can you imagine a car lasting that long? Or your dishwasher? LOL.)
Another recalls his father giving him his own tractor before he was even 9 years old, and he’d operated one when he was younger than that. Wow.
Advice:
Every farmer must have a strong work ethic and work at that work ethic. It’s a daily commitment, 24/7/365. You really should grow up on a farm to develop a love for it.
It’s very difficult to get started in farming these days, and you almost have to acquire a farm through inheritance.
Some fun facts:
- The average time a farm operator spends on the farm is 58.3 years. (I couldn’t help but compare that to my husband who worked for Union Pacific RR almost right out of high school, and he retired after 39 years.)
- 11% of today’s farmers once served in the military.
- One bushel of corn produces enough syrup to sweeten 324 can of soda pop.
- An acre of corn will evaporate 4,000 gallons of water per day.
- Some golf tees are made from corn products.
- Americans consume 17.3 BILLION quarts of popcorn each year.
- Each soybean plant grows 60-80 pods, and each pod has three beans inside.
- Each year, the average American consumes 112 pounds of beef.
- The average person will eat twenty 240-lb pigs in their lifetime.
- Horses drink 10 – 20 gallons of fresh water every day.
- A cow’s udder can hold 25 – 50 pounds of milk.
- It takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese.
- A person will eat about 250 eggs a year.
- The longest recorded flight of a chicken is only 13 seconds long. (Not known for their flying, right?)
- According to an online survey, 7% of US adults believed chocolate milk came from brown cows. (Um, really?)
- From 2007 to 2012, America had a net loss of 90,000 farms. (How’s that for depressing?)
- Between 1840 and 2000, the percentage of the American labor force engaged in agriculture-related work plummeted from a robust 70 percent to a measly 2 percent. (More depressing.)
- Women make up 36% of the total number of U.S. farm operators.
- Due to their careful management, more than half of America’s farmers intentionally provide habitat for deer, moose, birds and other species, rewarding in significant population increases. (Cool, huh?)
- Pigs can run a mile in 7 minutes. An average runner can do a mile in 7 – 10 minutes, a novice runner in 12 – 15 minutes. (I wouldn’t try to race a pig. You’ll probably lose.)
- It takes one hive of bees 55,000 miles of flight to produce one pound of honey. It takes approximately two million flowers for bees to produce that one pound of honey. Fortunately, bees are fast flyers – up to 15 miles per hour, buzzing from flower to flower. (Makes me appreciate the little bear bottle of honey in my cupboard even more.)
Have you ever lived on a farm?
Could you be a farmer or his wife?
If you’re a woman alone, do you think you could manage a farm on your own?
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Will romance hit its mark when true love is the target?
Desperate for a fresh start, Rena Burke journeys from Texas to Oregon with only her father’s pistol and a plodding old mule for company. She takes a job working with explosives at a mine, spends her free time emulating her hero Annie Oakley, and secretly longs to be loved.
Saddlemaker Josh Gatlin has one purpose in life and that is his daughter. Gabi is his joy and the sunshine in his days. Then he meets a trouser-wearing woman living life on her own terms. Rena is nothing like his perception of what he wants in a wife and mother for his child, but she might just prove to be everything he needs.
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Pam has written 30 romances, most of them historical westerns, but she's proud of her contemporary sweet romances featuring the Blackstone Ranch series published by Tule Publishing, too! Stay up on the latest at www.pamcrooks.com
When I was young and we lived in Mexico, my dad owned & ran a dairy farm with Holstein cows, but we didn’t live on it. We lived in town & visited the farm about 3-4 times a week (that’s mom & us kids… dad was there all day every day). A lightning storm killed the cattle & the farm went under. He sold it to his foreman & we moved to the States. My uncle still farms in Mexico, but has pecan orchards, not cattle.
Interesting, Ami. I would enjoy farming, but the constant pressure of worrying about the weather would be stressful. To have lightening kill the cattle and destroy one’s livelihood, all within a matter of minutes, would be shockingly hard. It’s all out of one’s control. I’m hoping your dad found something else to do here in the States that he enjoyed and prospered with.
Thanks for sharing!
I stayed at my grandparents’ farm and helped out, but I’m not a farmer.
I hear that often – visiting grandparents’ farms while young. My grandparents also farmed, but much more before I was born. By then, they had moved to town, but we had an aunt who lived on a farm, and our visits there are still vivid in my memory.
Too bad kids these days don’t have that as much.
I stayed with my aunt and uncle on their farm during some of the summers when I was young. I enjoyed it but didn’t really do any of the work. I’m not so sure that I would be able to do the work required by farmers now.
It’s truly a different era in farming. There are some conveniences (like equipment, computers, etc,) but one almost has to have a degree in agriculture to keep up with all the advances.
But despite conveniences and education, Mother Nature still rules with her iron hand, right?
good morning. when growing up I lived on a farm. all of us had chores as well as us kids having school. we learned work ethic and compassion big time. some of us had 4-H mom was a leader in 4-H I was involved in Cattle, Horses, Pigs and sewing
I think you nailed it, Lori, about the advantages of living on a farm. We love to watch the show on National Geographic – The Incredible Dr. Pol – and he’s often said every kid needs an animal to take care of. It teaches them responsibility, work, and compassion.
We need more of that these days. Thanks for stopping by.
I have the most wonderful memories living on a farm growing up. It was hard work even though I feel it wasn’t as hard as my father and mother’s growing up. We had it all. Grew corn, watermelons and later soybeans. We put up our own vegetables. We had pigs and cows. Would I be a farmer’s wife? Sure. But, I new my mother had to go out and work when I was in the second grade. Being a farmer is not for the weak hearted. You depend on the weather most of the time. Having the equipment you need gets expensive these days. It was expensive then.
I do wish my children and grandson could have experienced it. My children did some when they visited my parents. But, everyone should experience it. Would I be a farmer’s wife? I guess I could have been. But, my husband chose the career of a power linemen. And he is still working(over 41 years). And I went into education so I could be off when my children were off. Kinda like my father did by being with us. He was around when we were getting off the bus in the afternoons.
Thanks for the cool information Pam! Great post!
Good morning, Tracy! I’m envious about your farm memories. They sound special to you. You’re right about sometimes having to get a job off the farm to help make ends meet. I had a cousin whose wife got a job in town just to help with insurance. She enjoyed the social aspect, too. But my cousin thrived on the farm – their land was so well maintained, and their crop yields were enviable. They truly prospered.
Glad you enjoyed the post!
LOL I am married to a 5th generation farmer! He farms with his 2 younger brothers and has been helping on the farm since age 4 – he will be 66 on Sunday – I have lived on a farm since I was 3 years old, almost 60 years! The thing is – is that this is all that we know and do it daily because we love the life!
Oh, Teresa! This country was built on farmers like you and your family!! Bravo to you. Y’all have such an important part in feeding us, and I’m impressed – 5 generations! Yay!! If that doesn’t say love for farming, I don’t know what would.
I hope you can enjoy your farming life for many more years to come!
My grandparents were farmers and we lived with them off and on until I was about 9 years old. I think I could have been a farmer wife. Like your statistics I think many have left the farms. Even though I grew up in a farming community, I can only think of 1 person who is involved in farming to day.
It is just so sad that farming doesn’t appeal like it used to. Your comment is true to the article I read in my lake town’s newspaper. Of the old farmers interviewed, the majority said their children didn’t want to farm and wanted careers in the city.
I’m sure it’s much more complicated than I realize, but no doubt costs, risks, and the obligation to care for livestock every day played a factor in their decisions.
Sad, and worrisome, too. Thanks, karijean!
I grew up on a farm and finally we moved to town, off the farm, when I was a senior in high school. My dad had become a salesman for grain bins and it became successful so he opened a feed store and continued selling the grain bins as well. At this time his brother joined him in the endeavor for a time. He had grown up on a farm and became the sole provider on their farm when his father died when my dad was only 15 years old. My mother’s family also had been farmers in their past. Farming is not for sissies. My job was to take care of the chickens, collecting eggs, feeding and also cleaning out the chicken house. I recall helping my mom in butchering chickens as well. You sure learn to take responsibility. I could not wait to get off the farm!
Farming isn’t for everyone, obviously. I can’t imagine working a farm and having an outside job, too. Back in my mother’s day, (she also grew up on a farm), everyone had a bunch of kids. Like 9, 10, 11 of them, and I think alot of it was to have homegrown helpers around to pitch in around the farm. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, Judy!
I’ve never lived on a farm. I don’t think I would make a good farmer’s wife.
I think I would like it, Kathleen. I’m a home body, and there’s a lot of satisfaction in growing and caring for things. But it definitely needs to be in your DNA.
My grandfather was a farmer, he raised some cattle and had fields. I don’t think I am quite agrarian enough to plant massive fields now, but I wouldn’t mind having a hobby farm with chickens, pheasants, ducks, horses, and maybe a couple goats to keep things interesting. 🙂 The closest I come to farming now is my garden LOL
Hi, Kari! Even a hobby farm would take some learning and expertise! I’m writing about alpacas in my current Pink Pistol story, and I was totally clueless about them. Thank goodness for You Tube videos!
I always said gardening wasn’t for the faint of heart, either. There’s alot to know about growing food, but once I figured it out (mostly), I love gardening and look forward to it every spring and summer.
Thanks for being here, Kari!
My parents both grew up on farms. Some of my paternal uncles had huge gardens, but they all said you couldn’t make a living farming, so they had full-time jobs, too. I don’t have a green thumb, nor do I make enough money to have to pay what it would cost to water crops, so I wouldn’t be a good farmer!
So what makes a successful farmer different than one who can’t make a living at it? Weather? Inheritance? Education?
My cousin has one of the nicest farms in the state. He’s a work-aholic – even washes down his combines and tractors and keep them shining while stored in really nice metal buildings. But his wife needed to go to a job every day.
He inherited the farm, but he has been a really good steward of the land. He’s getting older, and the family worries what will happen when he can’t keep up anymore.
Great to see you here, Trucy!
Wonderful facts and what will happen when the farmers drop to bear zero?
Hmmm. Bear zero??
There are so many different kinds of farmers. Some have thousands of acres and without their hired workers could not keep going. (Are the hired workers farmers too when that’s all they do?). Some have less than 50 acres, do everything themselves and with family help and make a decent living. Many of us are somewhere in between with one or two hired workers and lots of family help. There are very few of us with neither spouse working in town and most who are working away from the farm are doing it to have health insurance and a few extras.
My sister and I have been among the lucky ones who have been able to work on the farm in partnership with our husbands and in my case my brother-in-law and not had to work off the farm. Have to admit there were times we did without health insurance and we were very thankful our kids were healthy and not injury prone.
The benefits of being a farmer, full time or part time, are not financial but there are so many other rewards. Probably guessed by now I have been a farmer all my life and I love it.
Yay, Alice! What a gift that you’re doing what you love, and that your family is right there with you. Everyone has ups and downs – boy, we sure did – but things always seem to work out in the end.
Loved reading your sage advice, all based on your experiences. Thank you for sharing!!
mY GRANDMOM HAD A FARM i WOULD GO OVER EVERY WEEK. i HAD A CHANCE TO MILK COWS AND TEND TO CHICKENS. sHE SHOWED ME HOW SHE GOT THE CHICKS READY FOR THANKSGIVING.
Hello, Emma! It sounds like you had some great memories growing up. Did you know from my Fun Farmer Fact that milk cows could hold 25-50 lbs of milk in their udders? I was blown away by that!
I’ve never milked a cow, but I think it would be cool to do so!
I have never lived on a a farm. When I was a child, we would spend time in West Virginia. My adopted grandparents had a farm. I loved it there. I would not be able to live on a farm. I have difficulty walking. I will be using a wheelchair as soon as I get a lift on my car. It would be hard to get around a farm. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
I’m so glad you have such great memories of farm life. But alas, all our lives change, don’t they? We get older, or less able, and in your case, a loss of walking. It’s in God’s plan for us, these changes, and I wish you the best as you adjust to a wheelchair, Debbie.
Pam, this was interesting. I remember my uncle getting a/c in his combine and how thrilled he was, too! LOL My grandfather (dad’s dad) had a garden where he grew basic things like tomatoes, green beans, corn, etc. He had some chickens, too. But that was not his livelihood. My husband grew up in WV and they had the same situation–vegetable garden in order to feed the family, but not their main source of income. Even so, it was a TON of work, and to this day, my hubby doesn’t want to do gardening! I get it. Everyone in my family loved to garden but me. But I sure do appreciate farmers and the hard work they do and the time they put in. Where would we be without them?
Exactly, Cheryl. Where would we be? And it’s amazing that even with dwindling numbers, our farmers are feeding more people than ever, even exporting to other countries. I appreciate them more than ever when I think about that.
Thanks for stopping by, filly sister!
I grew up in the country, but we never lived on a farm. I did “help” one of the farmers who hayed the field next to our house and some years planted oats there. The farm was a mile or so cutting cross lots and I would often walk over to help at milking time. I usually helped feed and did a bit of shoveling A time or 2 I helped look for calves that had been born somewhere out in the pasture, usually in the brush along the edge. The family was a husband and wife plus a brother. They never did have any children. They accepted our help, although some times I am not sure whether we were more of a hindrance or not. They did hire my brother one summer to help out. I rode combine bagging the oats (a dirty job) and helped with the haying. They did small bales (all which was done back then) and I drove the tractor while they loaded and stacked the bales. At the farm, we would help them unload and stack bales in the loft. It is good, hard, satisfying work, but for me it was just a hobby and never a day to day job. We had another neighbor we got our milk and eggs from. She was an elderly woman who had 2 or 3 cows and chickens. A small place with only a couple of acres, but it was what she could handle and was enough to support her. At one point I could have managed a similar farm, but not sure I could do it now. The regulations we have now are much different from what she operated under. I do know I don’t have the expertise necessary to run a big farm. I believe being born to it is really important.