Photo Karen Graham. A scene from last month’s Millbrook Farmer’s Market.
Working on a farm is not only a lesson in hard work, it is a lesson in life. Here are the top 5 lessons I have learned from farmers.
- Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life: There’s a reason farming is a lifelong career – farming is not work, it is love – love of the land and love of what they contribute each and every day.
- Be determined: When you feel like giving up, remember why you started. When drought hits and frustration settles in – Farmers remind themselves that what they do is essential to all of us and worth the fight.
- Be Patient: Who better to teach the lesson of patience than a farmer? Will the crop be successful, will my product sell at market? Patience is necessary to face the unknown with confidence.
- How to live a life to be proud of: Farmers will be the first to tell you, there is nothing better than seeing the product of your hard work. Blood, sweat and tears result in beautiful crops and livestock that sustains communities.
- Always look on the bright side: A Farmer must remain optimistic even in the face of the unknown. Farmers know to always look on the bright side of things even when the sun isn’t shining.
Little grains of wisdom that are so simple but true. If you get a chance, thank a farmer for what they do.
Join us at the Millbrook Farmers Market on July 25th from 10-1pm and see the results of our local farmers’ patience, optimism, pride of work, determination and love of the land.
