"I think that if you were raised on a farm, you were born with dirt in your shoes. And once you get dirt in your shoes, you can't ever get it out." -Mark Thomas
Were you raised on a farm? Surrounded by livestock, fresh air, and sunlight? It's a dream come true to thousands of children around the world and is a blessed reality to others. You know that you were raised on a farm when;
1. You get used to doing chores every morning, afternoon, and night.
It's not like you can just push off doing your chores like the next kid does. It's not like you forget to sweep or take out the trash or anything simple like that. If you brush off doing your chores when you live on a farm, your animals will suffer and it'll be all your fault.
2. You know that the sound of the roosters doesn't wake you up in the morning anymore.
All they do is spur you in the shins, mate with every chicken in sight, and they are honestly kind of rude. There is always just one rooster out of the five we have that is kind. Every time.
3. The smell of manure doesn't bother you.
You've got nostrils of steel and your friends will choose you to lead them through smelly places because you are the strongest and you've grown immune.
4. You can distinguish the different sounds from your animals.
-No goat in sight but there is a goat bleating somewhere in my barn-
Me: "Oh my gosh, that's my goat Autumn bleating over there."
My Friend: "You have like ten goats. How can you tell that it's specifically Autumn?"
Me: "That's my baby what do you mean how can I tell that it's her"
5. You become a master at naming things.
"That's chicken is named Fred- oh and that one is Tina. OH LOOK AT BENNI, SHE'S GROWN SO MUCH."
6. You've been covered in mud and animal poop at least 100 times.
And you know exactly how long it takes for the stains and the smell to finally get out.
7. Your muck boots have seen too much muck.
No explanation needed.
8. You know that when the hay truck comes you'll be getting a workout of a lifetime.
And you know that you'll never make the mistake of wearing shorts while stacking hay ever again. Ever.
9. Your animals get super excited to see you and you will feel wanted and important.
You feel like the parent to all of your animals and they all get rowdy when you walk into the barn to visit them or feed them. Especially feeding them.
10. It's 2 am and instead of sleeping like a normal child, you're holding a newly born baby animal in a towel in one arm while comforting a very tired mama animal with the other.
When you come to school the next morning, everyone expects pictures and trust me, you have them, but not the kind they were hoping for.
11. You've seen rodents of all sizes (except for small) living in the depths of your barn.
Honestly, New York City would be jealous over the size of the rats we have living in our barn.
12. You've become one of the best egg salesmen the world has ever known.
"Yeah, I can get you a dozen. Or three. What can you do for me?"
13. You've got the most outrageous farmers tan thanks to your muck boots.
You cannot just wear flip flops around turkeys or chickens. They will peck and it will hurt. Don't even get me started on why you shouldn't wear flip flops around pigs, goats, or horses. Don't. Just put on the steel toed boots or muck boots and deal with the well deserved farmer's tan.
14. There is no such thing as a purely white t-shirt for you or anyone in your family.
I'm sorry, it's just not ever going to happen. It might be white at first, so cherish those sweet moments. While they last, that is.
15. You know that you would never want to live anywhere else.
Even though it's really hard work and you've probably been pooped on more times than you can count, it really is worth all the while. You've become the parent to many animals, nourish them two or three times a day, and you love it. You've gotten dirty from being out in the garden and you've probably been stung once or twice by either bees or bitten by horseflies, but can you imagine what kind of a person you would be if you didn't endure the hard work that comes with living on a farm? You've grown close with your family and have bonded over said poop experiences and the stress that can even come with taking care of animals. And if you're an only child, you've provided an animal filled environment for your friends who sometimes just need to hold a baby goat or a chicken in order to feel better after a long week. Living on a farm is one of the greatest things to have ever happened to you and you know you would never want to live anywhere else.
