Living on a farm can be very rewarding. For example, seeing a baby calf come into this world and stand for the first time is an experience like no other. The smells of fresh cut hay or corn silage are signature summer scents. There are many good times and many difficult times on the farm. Farm men and farm women alike go through many of the same challenges. However, women on the farm are met with a few extra struggles.
1. Nail problems
So you want to paint your nails? Maybe you would like to go get a manicure or put fake nails on. There is no use. Your polish will chip after one calf feeding, and the fake nails will be ripped off in no time. But it's OK, you learn to live with it.
2. Uneven tanning.
Most of your time spent outside is on the farm, where the usual attire is jeans and a T-shirt. Your legs remain ghostly white, while only your arms and neck are tan. When you decide to dress up for a special occasion, there is no hiding those tan lines
3. Hat hair.
On the farm, it is difficult to keep dirt out of your hair without wearing a baseball cap. The trade off? Endless hat hair.
4. Going to the bathroom.
Imagine this: You are in the middle of the field stacking a load of straw on the wagon and suddenly you have the worst urge to pee. Boys are lucky; they can pee anywhere they please. Girls are not so lucky. So you have two options: hold it or run fast.
5. Changing in a hurry.
You have to get to that party or that meeting in town, but a cow goes into labor or a piece of equipment breaks down and makes you run a little behind, giving you about five minutes to get ready. No problem —
your record is three minutes.6. Wearing a Bra
* Conversation after a long day of baling straw in 90-degree weather.
Brother: "Man, I am sweating horribly."
Me: "At least you don't have to wear a bra."
Brother: "Oh, do you chafe?"
.........
And we all know what it is like to get straw or hay in our bra:
Girl: *Fidgets with bra*
Boy: "Um, what are you doing?"
Girl: "Ummmm, nothing." *fidgets with bra again*
7. Being a farm girl and a mom.
I am not a farm mom myself. But props to those of you who are. You manage to feed everyone and still get your own work done.
8. Having to get used to hearing farm guy talk.
When it comes to having no filter, boys are the professionals. It rubs off on you a little bit.
Brother: "Does the new calf have balls or no balls."
Me: "Seriously?...No balls."
9. Going on dates.
You go on a date right after you are at the farm. You have straw in your hair and smell like manure.
10. The little monthly blessing. I mean: curse.
Male co-worker: "Are you feeling OK?"
Girl: "Yeah..umm my stomach just hurts."
Male co-worker: "Oh, you should get a drink of water."
Girl: "OK thanks! (You don't even know!)
11. Developing calloused hands.
One of my favorite things to do is go swing-dancing. One time when I went, the person I danced with informed me that I had man hands. Sorry bro. It is just one of the results of lifting five gallon buckets and straw bales everyday of your life.
But no matter what, farm women will always share that unbreakable bond with one another.
(mMy twosisters and me at the dairy farm).
So there you have it. Women on the farm are faced with small challenges everyday, but they choose to keep on trucking for the sake of caring for their animals, family, land and world.
