You Know You’re a Farmer’s Kid When…

You know you’re a farmer’s kid when…

Your dad pulls out his wallet to pay for dinner… just a simple, well-worn wallet…

and bits of HAY (yes, hay that cows eat) fly out of his wallet and land all over the restaurant table. All. Over.

Then, without missing a beat, he says…

“It’s just a little seed money.”

Get it…hay seed?

What dad can resist telling a good dad joke?

Truly, I laughed. It was a pretty funny moment.

My dad spends pretty much the entire summer on a tractor making hay. And, yes, that hay seems to get everywhere. And, yes, I’m glossing over how hard this season is for a farmer.

So you can truly understand this hay-in-the-wallet situation, I decided to do a little recreation of the moment for you.

I picked up my dad’s wallet, shook it ONCE and this is how much hay fell out of his wallet and onto the counter.

There was NO WAY I was going to shake the wallet another time. I know there was an entire field more hay in there.

This was enough mess to clean up and I was trying to keep this little experiment on the down low. By the way, Dad, I did not take that $10!

Sometimes I think there are misperceptions about farmers.

Most people know they are hard-working and it can definitely be dirty work. Clearly, they’ve got to have a good sense of humor.

What you might not know is many farmers, like my dad, are smart, college-educated individuals who love what they do.

My parents encouraged me to pursue what interested me – to find what I loved to do. They never made me feel bad about leaving the farm, leaving the state and now, leaving the country to pursue life’s opportunities.

Really, I had the best of both worlds. The freedom and support to explore and follow my interests. Plus, the foundation of a stable home life and a strong work ethic learned from growing up on a farm.

It’s a big, beautiful world and they gave me roots, but let me fly.

I feel so fortunate that I can bring my kids back here to see where those roots were planted.

My kids don’t fully understand it, but they are soaking it all in. They are seeing hard work in action. They are observing how to be good stewards of the land. They are learning to respect Mother Nature. They are hearing your word is your bond. They are learning that even in the middle of hay season, Grandpa makes time for family.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to share all of this and more with them. Through it all, I hope my children see I’m happy and proud to be a farmer’s kid.

Be sure and thank a farmer the next time you see one. We couldn’t get by without them.

Thanks for reading! Here’s a few more if you have time…

Summer Bucket List

Fishing With Dad

Outdoor Decorating with Farm Junk

Pottery Barn Inspired Farmhouse Bed – One Year Later