Finish this statement: "Farming is...."

[jimbob]

I was talking with a guy today about a farmer that has a dream operation brand new equipment, never breaks down, farms the best ground in the county, and no rock...and the fella made the comment "that ain't farming" meaning that's too easy.

Made me think what is farming? Is it getting bloody knuckles changin a disc gang...watching a sunset from the combine....watchin your kid make their first round with a tractor...

One of mine would be "Farming is working late one night and being able to see 5-10 neighbors work late with you." Always seems to reassure me that I'm making the right decision to work ground especially in the spring.




Curious to hear some.

[RockyT]

Farming is a way of life, not just a job.
It's getting up before the sun to beat the rain, it's sitting on the tractor in the barn because you're too tired to get off, it's sitting there enjoying the barn creaking and crickets chirping now that the engine is off.
It's neighbors stopping in the road to chat in their trucks, it's knowing who's trucks those are by the dents, scratches, or lack thereof.
It's family understanding that important events must be planned around planting and harvest, and being understanding when you forget their name at the event because you got in a 5am from planting.
It's having your farm referred to as 'the old Martin place' even though you've owned it for over 10 years, it's using the same description to tell people where you're at when asking the coop to spray, it's them knowing exactly where you mean.
It's an old retired farmer driving 25mph no matter what road or state highway he's on, it's having the same retired farmer stop and lend a hand with the tractor broke down in the field, it's finding out that he farmed the same field and had to repair his own tractor in that same spot 35 years ago.

[countryguy]

Farming is: being a slave for greedy multinational corporations who want to assume no risk in farming the land themselves but still make huge dollars on every acre of land planted.It is also being a supplier of raw materials for food manufacturing corporations to almost steal from you after you fought all of mother natures elements so that they can generate huge profits from the consumer.Farming is also:the most NECESSARY but most UNNAPRECIATED profession on earth.

[coppertop]

My opinion on this is: Farming is a
chosen way of life for individuals who
aren't afraid of challenges; take pride
in successes; enjoy the independence
that comes from being able to make
choices such as what breed of cattle to
raise; what crops to plant; what type of
equipment to run etc. It is also a
lifestyle that is closest to nature, and
knowing the blessings nature can bestow
and also the demoralizing effect of
nature's wrath !
It is watching the first flock of geese
go over on a spring morning; watching
with awe as that first calf hits the
ground and is welcomed by a mama cow
that has done this many times before; it
is getting a call at 10:30 PM on a
summer evening from a neighbour who is
just sitting down to supper and asking
you to come over and share a plate of
stew at the end of a long hard day. It
is breathing fresh unpolluted air, and
walking in a warm summer rain knowing it
is good for the pastures and crops but a
pain in the butt to everyone who is
trying to make hay ! It is the smell of
silage on a winter morning, and looking
across the hills to see the neighbours
cows lining up behind the feed wagon. It
is not thinking about the money I would
have in the bank if it wasn't for being
in the livestock industry, and it is the
life I love, even with it's many ups and
downs.

[per]

Farming is like golf, an eagle or birdy or even a par will make you want to continue through the bad holes.

[Hopperbin]

Give up, go to bed and start another day after the combine auger hit the power pole because you forgot to retract it.

[may-be]

Looked foreward yesterday to get back to the farm from the lake and goe for a crop tour. The other working people were down that the weekend was over because that is what they are living for. Worked many different jobs in my young days and each one felt like jail time. The most unnapreciated one was a oil rig. Talked to a person this weekend that wants to quit her job after 22 years. She is doing the work of three people and gets negative remarks from the manager for not keeping up. Country guy, do you think people don't appeciate what you do for a living, or are they jealous of you?