Farming is one of the most underappreciated jobs. But it has been present in every civilisation throughout time. The act of farming produces food that is served on the table of each household. However, you should stop seeing this industry as just that. It offers various life lessons that can only be learned and experienced as a person grows crops and raises animals.
Constant Growth and Change
Growth and change are witnessed on a farm daily. Even the rise of farm machinery sales speaks of how innovations are embraced in this field. The first bud of a crop or the birth of a foal reminds of beginnings. Machines evolving from the simplest plough to high-powered tractors are testimonies to transformations. All of these are evidence that where there is life, there is change.
Required Hard Work
Farming is a serious business. It involves a sunrise-to-sundown commitment and going the extra mile, too, when needed. When one is entrusted with the care of lives, they cannot slack off. This work teaches a person to put the needs of others above their own. Responsibility and a strong work ethic are developed in the field. Even with the presence of quality equipment that greatly reduces work, farmers still sweat it out to have a good harvest.
Good Things That Take Time
Farming is never an overnight business. When one is nurturing life, whether it is of plants or animals, they must accept that it takes time. Crops have their seasons to grow. Milking cows and shearing sheep involve processes. There may also be failures or unforeseen circumstances such as acts of nature or animal injuries or sicknesses that will force a farmer to start from scratch again. Farming cultivates patience. It teaches a person to trust the process of time.
A Grounded Person
Farming promotes humility. There is something about the feel of the soil underneath your feet and between your fingers that reminds you to go back to the basics. Also, with the abundance of life around you, a realisation will dawn that your life is just a small part of the grand scheme of things.
The Nature of Giving and Taking
Farming is a great reminder that the environment will only give back what it receives. Poorly sustained land yields to unhealthy crops. An animal that is mistreated will perform badly. Farming teaches a person good stewardship: to always look for ways to make things better. The progress in research and technology has made it possible for farmers to have better crop production and house happy and comfortable animals.
Creating a Legacy
Even with and because of the advancement of technology, farming is one of the industries that will remain in the foreseeable future. Farmers do not just till the soil and raise animals just for the present generation. They always put in their hard work with future generations in mind. It could be as immediate as the need of their kids or to sustain the future demands of the community where they belong.
Farming has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Still, the life lessons that can be found in the field remain the same. The gifts that the earth offers go beyond what is on the dinner table. More importantly, tilling the soil and caring for animals develop a person’s character.
