What I Learned as a Farm Kid
Growing up on this property, I learned a lot of important lessons as a kid in the garden and in the kitchen, but I also took many of those lessons into my adult life. I didn't fully realize how much these experiences have impacted me until my husband Michael and I bought the farm.
1. Homegrown and homemade are always worth it. Exposure to homegrown produce and homemade food from an early age helped me understand food in a deeper way. Grocery stores and the supply chains have been transitioning more and more to instant meals and instant gratification. As a kid I was out in the dirt planting, weeding, and harvesting. I knew from an early age that our produce wouldn't be available right away, we would have to tend to it for months to reap the fruits of our labors.
In an "add water and stir" society, I have never been an "add water and stir" kind of person. I like to make things from scratch - I always have - and I prefer things that way. It might take a bit longer - it certainly takes longer to grow your spinach, pumpkins, and tomatoes than it does to go to the store and buy it - but I've been called to live that type of lifestyle because the freshness and taste simply does not compare to store-bought. Not to mention the health benefits of making things from scratch and growing our own food!
2. Hard work isn't a bad thing. My brother and I were always helping out in the yard. Granted - I will be the first to admit that as a kid it often was a chore to cross off our list - but we learned that hard work produces results. Whether that involved stacking hay in the hay loft after my grandpa and uncle had baled it, or spending most of a day picking apples, or a major canning project...we saw the results and we recognized the importance of sticking with something through completion. As the primary yard caretaker and now a business owner, I am now deeply grateful for those skills.
3. Being outside in nature is so good for the soul. When we went on vacations as kids, it was often a weekend camping trip away to a state park. Even when we weren't working on the farm, we were outside enjoying nature on our trips. There is such a stillness and calm in being outside and listening to thing but sounds of nature. In today's society, a society where it can be really tough to "get away", nature calls me more often than not. I am drawn to the simplicity of it. When I'm outside working in our gardens, I rarely have earbuds in. I enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks and music...but there are times when all I need is to connect with the outdoors.
4. Trying something new is a good thing. As an adult it's so easy to get stuck in what feels "normal" and what is comfortable. As a kid I remember trying new things often. My brother and I were 4-H kids and while he would stick with one or two projects and go incredibly in-depth with them, I would be the one to always jump into new project areas every year. I always entered the foods project at the county fair, but I also would add different projects to my plate every summer - everything from photography to needle arts to community service to flower gardening...
Even in the foods project, I remember one year I was getting tired of making different cookies over and over for my foods project so I asked my mom if she would teach me how to make bread to bring it in to the county fair as my project.
I've never lost that desire to try new things.
As an adult I find myself thinking more of what could go wrong, and all too often I find myself overanalyzing if it's a good idea. I sometimes miss the chance as a kid to try new things without many - if any! - consequences if it didn't go as planned. I think many adults are like that, where we get into our routine and we don't want to rock the boat...so we don't.
I realize how lucky I am to have grown up how I did. Though the farm when I grew up here wasn't a business, this farm has shaped me into the person I am to day on many levels. This homesteading lifestyle isn't an easy one, but it certainly is worth it!