If a farmer(‘s wife) answers a question …

My family recently experienced an agvocacy win. These wins are rare and special. All too often, a non-farming person’s interest in crops or livestock is limited to a couple hours, maybe some social media interaction or a couple “likes” on Facebook pages. I’m a volunteer for Ask the Farmers, a group that answers agriculture questionsContinue reading “If a farmer(‘s wife) answers a question …”

Safety for farm kids.

Farm kids have unique opportunities to learn the value of hard work and a job well done with equipment or animals that many of their peers have never seen. The risks of living on a farm are different than the risks of town life, and safe risks and unsafe risks are defined differently in everyContinue reading “Safety for farm kids.”

Farm books we love.

My kids have great books on their bookshelf. We’re blessed to know and love librarians and teachers and readers of all kinds who give books to celebrate any occasion, and sometimes for no reason at all. The under-8 set at my house loves farm books. They’re pretty easy to come by, and mostly harmless. FarmContinue reading “Farm books we love.”

The introduction.

Agriculture and parenting have a lot in common. Both are high risk with the potential for high reward. Both require a lot of inputs without any guarantee of yield. And both require optimism — astounding amounts of optimism — in good times and in bad.My parents, both of whom are from multigeneration farm families, startedContinue reading “The introduction.”