What it's like to Live on a Farm

Everyone has their idea of what living on a farm is like- the stereotypes, the misconceptions and the outright stupid ideas abound. So, what is it really like to live on a farm then?

Farm-life starts early, in most cases before the dawn hours. Depending on the size of the farm and the work that it does, the farmer might be getting up by four a.m. to get started on a day that lasts well past dusk. There are crops to tend to, livestock to feed and water and other chores that need to be done, often in a race against the heat of the day. Machinery helps speed the process up, or can throw off a whole day when it breaks and then must be repaired before anything else can be accomplished. The farmer must keep one step ahead of his animals, his crops and his machinery- letting anything slide for even one day can lead to a complete disaster.

Living on a farm means dealing with odors, some of them more pleasant than others. Even a farm that does not have any livestock on it at all will have odors- from fertilizers, insecticides and other materials, organic or not, there will be odors. If the farm does raise livestock the smells will be even more ferocious.

But living on a farm is not all work and no fun. Many farms have ponds to swim and fish in- or trees to climb. Farms with livestock can be very educational as young ones are born. There is nothing sweeter than a newly born lamb, horse, cow or even pig. Of course, if the farm is in the business of raising animals for meat for personal use or for profit, then the children should be made aware of that from the very start.

Asking what it is like to live on a farm might actually be the same as asking what it is like to live in a mansion, or a shack or a teepee for that matter. You live your life, eating, sleeping and trying to make a living just like anybody else. Your office is just out in the barn and your commute may be from the seat of a big tractor. You are the boss, the animals or the crops are your employees as you all pull together to accomplish your end goals. Meetings are held at dawn, and vacation is during the off season. Living on a farm is simply that: living.