Life in the country is unlike life
anywhere else…
Those of us who have grown up out here
take a lot for granted, as pointed out in this Rodney Atkins song.
I was 12 years old with some bolts and a
wrench,
a piece of plywood that was 3/4 inch
and daddy said son once your chores are one
I'll give you one of them creosote barn poles.
I went out in the pasture with no cow patties,
Got some post hole diggers, and I got after it.
Got some post hole diggers, and I got after it.
Had some sun on my back and a blister on my
hand, but man I had myself a goal!
I dribbled that ball till the grass was gone and the ground was brown and flat.
I dribbled that ball till the grass was gone and the ground was brown and flat.
Me and Daddy played horse and the cows all
"mooed" and we laughed.
I was lucky and I didn't even know it growing
up like 'at.
I learned
the birds and the bees from the cats and the dogs,
And a frog starts out as a pollywog.
The best
blackberry cobbler is made from scratch,
And worth every one you get from the briar patch.
And worth every one you get from the briar patch.
I found out
firewood will warm you twice,
once when
you cut it and once when you light it.
and I can't
help but smile when I look back,
cause I was
lucky and I didn't even know it
growin' up
like 'at.
There was an old wooden barrel hind my
grandpa's house
where we threw our tater peels and coffee
grounds,
if you want to catch catfish long as your arm,
son you gotta have a night crawler farm.
Well we'd sit on the dock and share a bottle
of pop
and catch a few and then head on back.
Me and Daddy cleaned fish while the cats
"meowed" and we laughed,
I was
lucky and I didn't even know it growing up like 'at…
-Rodney Atkins
Not only is life different out here…we all
like it that way and don’t want to see it change. We like our trucks and tractors and livestock
shows. Families, little kids included,
work the land together and prize this rural lifestyle. Despite the fact that lots of the kids head
off to college and lives elsewhere, you can take the kid out of the country,
but you will never take the country out of the kid. That might explain the near palpable sense of
relief that the administration’s Youth Farm Labor rule was rescinded.
There had been a lot of talk and concern in
the Ag community regarding the Department of Labor’s proposed ruling concerning
young people employed in agriculture. There was concern that this far-reaching
proposal would indeed change everything
by severely restricting, and in some cases, prohibiting the participation of
youth in a variety of agricultural activities.
This was a BIG deal in the Ag world.
This story originally made headlines back in
September. I remember hearing about it but didn’t understand the scope of the
situation, so I was a “Johnny-come-lately” to the recent conversation and spent
the last couple of days trying to verify the story and its ramifications. If
the rumors were true, life in rural America was in for a big change that could
have had dire effects. I wondered what I could/should do….whether or not
“someone” was doing "something". It was with great relief that I read that the DoL
had backed off completely. http://www.wibw.com/localnews/headlines/Dept_Of_Labor_Withdraws_Youth_Farm_Labor_Rules_149172465.html
Gratitude goes out to the Farm Bureau, local
representatives and all those farm families and youth in agriculture who worked
so hard to keep this intrusive rule from coming to fruition.
As a former kid who deeply appreciates that I
was farm fed and rural raised, I was heartened to see that farm kids were vocal
about protecting their way of life.
As the parent of farm kids who relied on the
hard work and tenacity of some of those kids to keep the small family farm a
thriving entity, I was thankful to see that farm-related businesses and our
local representatives stepped to the front to protect our way of life.
As a farmer looking toward the future of
agriculture with great concern, I was incredibly relieved to see the DoL
respond to the comments and concern of the American agricultural community!
I have lived most of my life in rural America,
where the animal population often outnumbers the humans…where tractors share
the roads with other vehicles…where the kids work in the fields alongside their
parents and sometimes even their grandparents.
This place I live marks the passage of time in planting and harvest,
breeding and birthing season, parade and fair schedules. The school year hearkens back to the days
when the children were needed on the farm in the summertime because the
workload demanded all hands. To say that
life “out here” is different from life in urban areas is a huge
understatement. It is a place where
change does not come easy, and when change does come, its effects are felt far
and wide. To have people making decisions for us who have never experienced
this type of life, in some cases never even VISITED a farm is appalling.
This is a place where kids identify themselves
by family farm, tractor brand and/or farm product. Most everybody knows everyone else and looks
out for each other. Summer vacations are
spent running the livestock show circuit, possibly cutting hay or doing some
sort of fieldwork, making some extra cash working for a neighboring farmer and/or
preparing for the county fairs. Despite
the fierce competition in the show ring, I have seen some outstanding examples
of graciousness displayed by some of the young competitors. Overlooking disabilities and/or injury,
competitors help one another, graciously congratulate the winners and console
those who lost. The parents could learn
a lot from these young people!
The Department of Labor purportedly was
concerned about safety of the young folks doing farm work. I understand that
children’s safety is a big concern.
Farmers understand safety…perhaps better than anyone else. Farming is a very dangerous occupation. We know numerous folks missing digits or even
limbs from accidents on the farm. It
takes just one moment of inattention to cause a lifetime of disability. Many of the activities deemed “dangerous” by
DoL seemed silly to farm kids. Remember,
these are kids who have grown up knowing how to handle themselves in the barn,
in the field, on farm equipment. There
are rules of conduct that these country kids know instinctively. (and because
farm parents teach them constantly)
To keep children completely away from farming
activities might prevent accidents, but it also keeps them from a way of life
and experiences that could affect their life choices…and the very future of
agriculture. The young people would miss out on the richness that farm life
affords its residents When I wrote about farm kids in the past…http://homesteadhillfarm.blogspot.com/2011/04/our-farm-kids.html and noted
the life lessons learned in the barn, I only scratched the surface of
the astounding number of lessons that farm life teaches on countless topics. Farm life is full of amazing experiences and
awesome opportunities found nowhere else on earth. Educators would be
hard-pressed to replicate these experiences in the classroom.
The farming population is dwindling…2% of the
population is working to provide the agricultural products for the other 98%. The farming population is aging…depending on
the source, the average farmer is somewhere between 50 and 62. If young folks are denied access to this
possibility for a career path/way of life, the world is going to be a very
hungry place in short order. Any youth interested in agriculture should be
encouraged not excluded. The continuity of farm life is crucial to the
continuity of the agricultural community. The continuity of the agricultural
community is crucial to the continuation of the rest of society.
If we were to keep kids from Agricultural
activities, we’d have no Future Farmers…no 4-H…no real hope for innovations in Agriculture
in the next decade, century and beyond. Life out here wouldn’t be the same
without the FFA and the 4-H. Both groups
encourage leadership, teamwork and community-mindedness. The many competitions that they sponsor help
to develop these qualities in the young people. Interaction with business and
community leaders create networks for later life. All this hard work makes for a level of
maturity among many young farm kids that is not seen elsewhere. These young people give me great hope for the
future of agriculture…and the country.
Despite the fact that I’ve never been a
show-kid, a member of 4-H/FFA, or a even participant in the county fair, those
kids who have are very special to me, and I am so thankful that this way of
life can continue without interruption. Country kids rock…and I can prove it!
Back when B was injured so very badly, a lot
of folks in the community reached out to her and J in a multitude of ways. When word started getting around about the
scope of her injuries and the astronomical bills that they might face,
contributions began to come in. That was
a humbling experience! One of the first
groups to contribute was the local 4-H.
B had never been a member, but her younger sister had. B was the cool older sister who acted as
chauffeur for her younger sibling and always had a kind word for the little
kids. The donation was generous.
The 4-H leaders said the kids wanted to do
more. The leaders tried to temper the
kids’ enthusiasm. The budget was
tight…they had already helped…
When one of the leaders told me the story
later, he got a little choked up. “But,
it’s B!” they said “We have to do more!
If we figure out a way…will you let us?”
The leaders acquiesced, thinking…what can a bunch of kids do?
Those farm kids put their heads together. One of them had some hogs…they would raise a hog…sell raffle tickets at the fair…pay for the hog…and give the rest to B! They analyzed their costs, figured out what they hoped to donate, arranged for tickets and advertising. The leaders were floored. Who woulda thunk? B & J were touched by the thought, but imagine their surprise when there was a sizeable check in the mail come the end of the fair!
Farm kids rock!
This kind of generosity would be impossible
elsewhere. This is not to say that
generosity is a farm thing…not by a long shot.
But, my kids…no…our whole family…was touched deeply by these young folks,
all of whom were under 17 at the time, who put their heads together, pooled
their talents and helped someone in need in a way that had escaped more “mature
minds”, utilizing the skills and opportunities offered by the farm. Yeah…the
FARM!
It is quite possible that if this invasive
ruling by the DoL had actually been enacted that experiences like the one I
just noted would have ceased to happen. Young
people could have been banned from so many agricultural activities deemed
“dangerous” by the Department that the opportunities would have ceased to
exist. That would be a shame…we would be so much poorer as a nation without the
gracious, creative, and caring young folks that represent the next generation
of agriculture in this country. They should be afforded all the rich
educational opportunities that farming offers and encouraged in their
endeavors!
Agriculture has been taken for granted for a
long time. Those of us in agriculture
have long taken for granted that we can raise our kids like we want, teaching
them as we go. Maybe this should serve
as a wake-up call. No longer should we take for granted
…growin’ up like ‘at!
(The song is actually sung like ‘at…leaving
off the “th”. If you listen real
close…’at is how we sound out here, too!)
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