I have been back farming for 6 years now; but at the beginning I think my dad was very hestitant to give me a job. Not because he didn’t want me to take over the farm someday or thought I couldn’t do it, but because a mix of me being a girl, and also me having been gone for the last 4 years at college. People can change a lot when they are away, he wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just coming back because I thought it would be easy and something that I could do until I found a “real job”. So while I was trying to assure him that this was something I truly felt was my passion in life, he came up with a plan. I was going to be an intern for 2 years. I would follow him around, do everything he did and see all sides of the business. Then after 2 years, if it wasn’t working, or either of us thought this wasn’t going to be the best we could split ways no questions asked. Well it’s been 6 years now and neither of us has looked back. So after the 1st full year, I wrote a poem for my dad about all the things that I broke during that year.
In my first year, well it’s been quite the wild ride
I’ve learned a lot, and broken a lot
I’m lucky no one died
It began one Monday
Hitch pin, jack stand, and trailer tire
Next a cell phone, and door handle
Thank goodness there was no fire
Mom says, “Don’t worry just take it in stride”
I’m afraid it’s only the beginning to her I confide
If we only knew then what the farm was in for
I probably would have shown ME the door
Gears, boom saddle, and flange all go bizerk
But dad’s still laughing as I just create more work.
“Just try to take it easy” he repeats to me again
It’s a good thing you break things slower than we fix them
Three cell phones and a Nextel clip later
Out goes the starter on grey
I start to worry
He won’t keep me one more day
But as I get into my port-o-potty
And it rolls away
He thinks just for entertainment
I have to let her stay
Plus I’m much too strong to let go
For heaven’s sake I bent the lever on a PTO
Then there are the belts
And we have never gotten along
Flail and Filbert dump cart
I guess that list isn’t too long
Hair dunked in oil, eye socket to a lever
A head bump to the spray booms
Just to make it all the better
Another injury to the noggin from a Filbert tree
What are the odds of that dang branch coming down on me?!
The spreader’s drive line goes out with a punch.
It’s 8am and I’m ready for lunch!
The disc claims yet another cell to the trees.
A beep beep to dad & mom, help me please!
But Fuses, Cam locks, and Nozzles have become easy fixes
Although hopefully I don’t have 3 legged kids from all the chemical mixes
As the intern in year two
I hope my mistakes go down a few.
For one trying to outrun a hail storm
In a pruning tower, proves bad form
It hasn’t been all mishaps and mistakes this year
Thanks to golf and Marion Ag we also had a lot of beer!
Obviously it’s hard to soar like an eagle
And farming hasn’t exactly proved me very regal
So dad I hope you keep flying with this turkey
And don’t forget we make dang good goose jerky!
It’s been such a great year I truly can’t complain
I’m just hoping the smile on dad’s face means he feels the same