Some Thoughts on Farming and Family

   For part of their summer vacation Heidi brought the kids out to the farm today. We checked almonds and looked at cotton. Of course, the highlight of the morning was a ride on the tractor. No trip to the farm is complete one. You should have seen Rowen's eyes bug out when the GPS steering kicked in. (You can relax, by the way, we put in a jump seat for visitors. The kids were safe and buttoned in the cab.) Heidi and the kids' visit reminded me of a couple of radio pieces I did last winter. I hope you like them.

You Can Take the Kids Out of the Country…

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright January 2013

               I am proud of my kids. Neither one wants to farm and that’s OK. We raised them to be independent and they are good at it. What I have noticed is-you can take a kid out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kid.

            Our daughter teaches fifth grade. Last summer she finishes a long, hard school year. Does she take a break? Nope. She spends three weeks painting the insides of her new home and then starts her masters program.

            Our son just finished five and a half years in the Army. Two of those five years were extended camping trips in Afghanistan. Not farming, but lots of long days working outdoors.

            Our son-in-law was raised on a turkey ranch. He worked for a food processor a good chunk of last year. He had a lot of ten, twelve and fourteen hour days. No clock punching for him.

            None of them farm, but they took the lessons they learned growing up on the farm and applied them in their work. You can take the kids out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the kids. Fortunately they learned a few good habits growing up on the farm.

Our Families Are Like Your Families

By Paul H. Betancourt

Copyright January 2013

               Nothing like family when it works. Nothing like families when it doesn’t work either. I have seen both.

            There is a lot of support for family farms and it is appreciated. Most farms are family operated and considering the challenges, and the weather, and the bugs ---it can get a little stressful. There are many farm families where the husband farms and the wife works in town so they have a steady income and health insurance. In many farm families fathers and sons work together. I even know families where the daughters drive tractor also.

            When family works, there is nothing like it. I love the fact that I can count on family when I need them.  Farm families tend to stick together. I have one friend who’s extended family gathers once a week in his home for dinner. That is beautiful.

            Of course, there are farm families that can’t talk to each other. I have seen multi-generational farms disintegrate because they couldn’t figure out how to get along. That’s sad.

Our families are just like your families. When it works, there’s nothing like it. And when it doesn’t, there’s nothing like it either.

I hope you all have a great week.