Living Rural Doesn't Mean Living Distant

There is truly not a more caring and giving community to live in than the farming community.  If there is someone in need, there are 100 people there to help them in every way possible in no time flat.  I have experienced this in the 10 years living here so many times, it is comforting and heartwarming.  I can remember thinking with hesitation that I was going to feel so isolated and distant from the world living out here a mile away from any neighbor.  Coming from a person who grew up being able to talk to their neighbor by just shouting out the window, it is an understandable concern.  But once I got here I was overwhelmed by the amount of care and closeness of everybody around.  I had never felt more surrounded by friends and family in my life. 

My father-in-law and my son at a school visit.

 I can remember one time that my dog, when he was a puppy, ran off and I found him with his head stuck in a fence and having trouble breathing.  I couldn't get him out and I needed something to clip the fence with.  Of course it happened to be the day that everyone was gone from the farm.  The only person around was my father-in-law and I knew that he was in the middle of an important meeting.  Freaking out over the thought that I might have to tell my kids that their brand new puppy was no longer with us, I called him up anyways, crying of course.  Before I knew it he was flying across the field on a four wheeler with a pair of clippers in hand.  Everyone who saw him soar out of the driveway at ridiculous speeds thought there was some accident somewhere and someone was hurt.   But alas, he was leaving his meeting to help me and my dim-witted little puppy.  He jumped off the four-wheeler with clippers-a-blazin’ and had my dog cut out in no time.  I’ll never get a dog with such a big head (or tiny brain) again.

Grandma is hardly ever without an amazing baked good-
even in stressful situations!

Then there was the time that my husband’s cousin (who is more like a brother to him) had rolled a semi truck while hauling pigs.  He was okay, the pigs were okay, and the truck was on its side in the ditch.  In the blink of an eye every family member, neighbor, and friend were on the scene and helping out.  Even the law enforcement members that came to the scene were everyone’s friend.  Worried about the accident, relieved that everyone was ok, problem solving about the clean up, everyone was there for support.  Grandma even brought over her homemade cinnamon rolls to the scene for every one helping out to have a good meal, something that she definitely does best!  It was just what we do.

The line of trucks full of corn that were helping someone in need.

Then there are times like yesterday.  There was a member of the community that needed help harvesting the rest of his corn due to an unexpected event.  Without hesitation there were multiple people with their combines lined up to help finish the rest of his crop in one day.  Our farm received all of the corn that was harvested to our feed mill.  Semi trucks full from the fields rolled by one after another like a giant freight train delivering the community members corn to us.  Our office staff grilled pork burgers for everyone involved and brought them to the farmers working in the fields and to the truckers in the scales where the corn was being unloaded.   The line of trucks waiting in line wrapped around our great big bins and out to the road at times. It was a huge effort by so many, which was never even given a second thought by anyone.  It is just what we do in the farming community to help out in every way, for every one that we can.

So it is here that I stress how it is not just about the pigs.  It is also about growing a community and respecting everyone around us that is involved, directly or indirectly.   Farming is by no means every man for himself and may the biggest man win.  It is an effort of everyone working together towards a common goal in the way that works best for them.  Our goal as farmers is to help feed the world and we lean on each other constantly to achieve that.  We take great pride in what we do and wouldn't change that for anything.

Sharing our passion with others helps them understand what
farming is really  all about.