In honor of Valentine’s Day, I decided I would tell a love story in this month’s blog. However, this isn’t your typical “boy meets girl” love story. This is a farm love story. A story about why I love farm life.

Now just to clarify (and in case you were wondering) I have lived off the farm-and let’s just say I wasn’t a fan. I was young, and we lived hundreds of miles away and in the city for two years. When we returned to the farm, I decided that I would never leave again.

I could go on and on about why I love farm life, but these 6 arguments are the biggest reasons it is so near and dear to my heart.

• Farm life is full of wide-open spaces. As a kid this meant room to run, play, explore, and get dirty, the sky was the limit. Now it’s away to get away rom the hustle and bustle with room to breathe and think.
• Farm life is a place to build character. You can’t be on a farm long without realizing that working hard, responsibility and stewardship are part of the game. And for those of us raised this way, these values are learned at a very early age. Both plants and animals need cared for and tended to. The work is hot in summer, cold in the winter and dirty year-round.
• Farm life teaches you to appreciate nature and the cycle of life. Just as the Bible says, “there is a time to be born and a time to die, a time to sow and a time to reap” (Ecclesiastes 3:7), living on a farm you learn that there are seasons, and reasons (though you may not fully understand them) for everything.
• Farm life teaches you the value of community. Farmers and ranchers are a very small percentage of the population, and while they may disagree on farming practices and styles, they band together like no one else during times of need. They are always willing to lend a helping hand and are overwhelmingly generous when an accident or illness occurs within the community.
• Farm life teaches you the value of family and teamwork. Over 95% of US farms are family owned and operated and every member of the family has an important role to play. From the smallest of kiddos who can help feed animals and clean pens, to the adults who make repairs, operate equipment, tend to livestock, pay the bills, and fill bellies with hot meals, each person is integral to keep the dream alive.
• Last but not least, farm life is a place for faith to grow. Dropping a seed in the ground and hoping it grows into an abundant harvest takes a lot of faith. Prayers for cooperative weather, animals and markets are of no shortage on the farm. And those early morning and late night chores allow us to witness gorgeous sunrises and sunsets and wonder in awe at the majesty of God and his beautiful creation.

I can’t think of any other lifestyle that rolls all these arguments into one. While farming is not easy, it sure can be a beautiful way to live.

 Amanda

Hello! I’m Amanda Griffey. Farm wife, homeschool mama, and artist. I love farm life and all the unique blessings it allows. It’s the inspiration for me to caputure the heART of the farm.