Outside of my family members and friends, not too many people know I grew up on a farm. I’m proud to have grown up on a farm, and the lessons I learned were invaluable. So without further ado, here is my list of 10 things you learn while growing up on a farm.
1. How to drive a tractor by age 12.
Many farm kids know how to drive a tractor long before they obtain their driver’s licenses. With that kind of experience, driver’s education was a piece of cake.
2. Case IH makes the best farm machinery.
Farm kids know their favorite brand of farm machinery by the time they are three years old. To this day, people still get into arguments about which brand of equipment is better. I was born into a family that used Case IH when I was a kid. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t red, it stays in the shed.”
3. How to use tools.
Hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, drills, saws, chainsaws, air compressors, power washers—you get the idea.
4. The metric system.
When I was in elementary school, my class was taught the metric system (in addition to the standard system). Right around that time, all of those school lessons were reinforced when some farm parts were manufactured to be put together by metric tools.
5. You can work 16+ hours a day.
As any farmer knows, the harvest and planting seasons can get a bit crazy. Everyone is trying to harvest/plant their fields before the next batch of rainy weather rolls through, so working 16+ hours a day is not uncommon.
6. Something will break down during harvest/planting season.
No matter what year it is, something is always bound to break down. Whether it be a broken wagon tongue or the combine catching on fire, you know something is going to break.
7. When something breaks, it’s your fault, even when it’s not.
I’ve made my fair share of mistakes while farming, but I still get blamed for things that I have no control over. When people work long hours with little sleep, sometimes they just need to take their anger and frustration out on someone. You learn not to take it personally.
8. You love country music.
Old country, new country, it doesn’t matter. You learn to love it all.
9. You can distinguish animal manure by smell.
It sounds weird, but over the years, your nose can tell which animal’s manure is on a particular field.
10. Most importantly, you learn to appreciate what farmers do for a living.
Farmers are often called the backbone of America. Where do you think your food comes from in the grocery store? You can thank a farmer for that.
