As an almost farmers wife, I feel strongly about supporting rural women and their families. Despite what might be portrayed on The Farmer Wants A Wife, this gig isn't all sitting on wide verandas of your country estate sipping cups of tea and flicking through Country Style magazines.
Oh no. Sometimes it's hard. In fact, a lot of the time it's hard. Bloody hard.
Some nights your husband won't crawl into bed until 3am because he's out ripping a paddock preparing to sow because the rain will be here later in the week. Some days you will find yourself literally up to your armpits in a heifer trying to help her with a difficult calf. Some nights you will find yourself in the pitch black holding a torch trying to fix a trough so your livestock can be watered. Some days you will be screamed at by angry farmers who are at breaking point financially due to market conditions. Some days you'll spend all morning preparing a beautiful lunch whilst caring for a sick child to be told there's 'just 60 more to go' when you're AI'ing (true story). Some days you'll be knee deep in mud (it's mud right?!) and directing wayward cattle dogs to 'get away back and push push push!'. Some days you'll be hurtling through a blizzard on the back of the motorbike trying to muster ewes and lambs, the next day you'll be cursing the flies and heat and dust - so much dust - whilst helping to needle 200 stroppy mama cows.
Yes, some days it's hard. You are a cook, a financial planner, a counsellor, a trainee agronomist, a livestock agent, a plumbers apprentice, a vet nurse, a jillaroo of all trades. But you have your best friend beside you.
If you have ever walked into your local supermarket and picked up a potato, an onion, some flour, some bread, some sugar, some meat and thought you appreciated where it comes from - please please please think about what you are truly appreciating. That cup of sugar, that piece of bread, those eggs and milk, have all come from hard working families. Families who sacrifice an awful lot to feed your family. Farmers are undervalued, underpaid and overworked. But for most they would not do any other job. It's not a job, it is a vocation. It's a misconception that farming is a low skilled industry, please take five minutes to watch this video to mark 2012 - the year of the farmer, and hopefully come away from it with a greater understanding of just what goes into producing the food you eat this evening.
3 comments:
Hear Hear Emma!!
From another farmer's wife; great post Emma!
Great post Em! As someone who grew up in a rural community I find it frustrating to see people not realise where their food comes from. I get so sad when I see cartons of milk, bags of bread, fruit or meat thrown out without a thought of what went into producing it.
I try to be mindful by making sure I eat everything I buy to limit waste. I also prefer to get my meat and eggs from farmers markets where I know the animals have been treated well and the farmer gets to see more of the profits.
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