Trust is such a funny thing. It is something we only give to the most important people in our lives. Yet, often when farmers discuss reaching out to people who aren’t farmers, we talk about earning trust. There is nothing in the world that says you have to trust me because I am a farmer. Me being a farmer does make me an expert on growing food because I do it each day, but that still isn’t a reason you have to give me your trust. Long story short, you don’t have to. But I hope you will trust me regardless.
In reality I am not that different from you. I’m a parent. I have a messy house. It feels like we are constantly busy and our lawn isn’t mowed often enough. Even though my job is not common, we are normal in so many ways. The view outside my window is probably pretty different than yours and I smell cow manure more often than anything else. If you watch the news you might think those of us living out here are quite backward. But, in the end we can all agree we want to provide for our family (regardless of what that family looks like), keep our family healthy and have a life we enjoy. Maybe some of us have different avenues to go about it, but I would be willing to wager we can agree on those things. I think one hour at a great coffee shop chatting could show us that.
I am a dairy farmer because I care. I care about my cows and keeping them happy, healthy and content every single day. I care about our land. We strive to be good stewards to keep it healthy and productive for our neighbors and generations to come. When we take care of the cows and the land they will take care of us. Farming is a labor of love that I compare to parenting. There are long, exhausting hours. You do it because you want to do it or you feel like it is a calling for you. It is 7 days a week with rarely a day off. Honestly, there are lot of other ways to make a better living easier. Sometimes, like this year there is little to no pay. But in the end it is totally worth it. Even though it is hard and stressful, I love what we do. Just like I love being a parent.
I stop in the grocery store and stand right next to you in the aisles. I stare at labels and I debate for minutes which brand or type of diced tomatoes I should buy. Trust me, I’ve stared way longer than I should have. I have debated about what is healthier for my family constantly. I hope you will look at that “plain Jane” gallon of milk in your local grocery store and think of me and my family. You won’t judge it for its lack of catchy logos and fancy labels on the container. I hope you take it off the shelf, put it in your cart and feel good about taking it home and feeding it to your family. That is my hope each and everyday when I am out on the farm working.
