Kids are often deeply involved in the ways of farming from an early age. They quickly find their own role in the farm — watering animals, handing Dad tools, or even just riding along in the tractor. Some may say, “What kind of a childhood is that?” But if you ask any farm kid, they will say those are some of the best times. That early exposure to hard work teaches kids teamwork, resilience, and responsibility. Not to mention it also gives them (and their parents) a sense of pride and accomplishment.

As we all know, kids catch on quick. That is no different on a farm. If the farm experiences a hardship or things don’t go as planned, often those kids watch it unfold. They ask hard questions as they try to understand and develop their problem-solving skills. But they also bring a new sense of light and laughter to those situations. Like when my 3-year-old is carpet farming and tells my husband, “I am taking the tractor and baler to bale the weeds.” Referring to a newly planted hay field that didn’t take off as we had hoped this past summer. Now, he will never let his dad forget that, but he also will never forget that himself, and one day, when it is his turn to plant a hay field, he will think back to all those answers his dad had when he was 3 and when we all learned something that haying season.

As kids grow up and go away to school, they often find themselves trying to find a way back to the family farm or get involved in agricultural somehow. They come to realize all those little things they learned on the farm helped to sculpt the person they are today. They realize that the farming way of life is how they imagine their life going forward. Like those before them, they want to continue to improve the land, increase efficiency, and bring new life to the operation.

In today’s world, it is not as easy as just coming back to the farm, though. Young adults often must prove themselves by making the farm enough additional money to pay their wages as farms continue to face economic hardships. This need to increase efficiency stirs a new wealth of knowledge on the farm. Sometimes this knowledge is met with open arms and sometimes is met with the classic, “This is how we have always done it and this is how we are going to do it as long as I am around.”

Courtesy Photo A small pig, dubbed “Pork Chop,” is seen at Dylan and Alyssa Howard’s family farm.

Some adults go out on there own and start their own operation, taking knowledge from both sides of their families and building their own dreams. This is no easy task either, as starting a farm from scratch takes patience, capital, and perseverance.

One thing you will find in common whether the farmer you are talking to is 5 or 65, once they start talking about their farming operation, you will see the passion for what they do spill from them. Farming is a labor of love. Each season is a new opportunity to learn, to teach, and to grow, all while spending time with the ones you love the most.

Dylan and Alyssa Howard farm in Lachine with their two children, Parker and Paige. They both come from several generations of agriculture. They run a cow-calf operation, raise pigs, and sell pork and hay to the community. In between working full-time jobs and their own farm, the Howards also enjoy helping on their parents’ farms. Alyssa Howard can be reached at 989-464-0854.

Courtesy Photo Dylan and Alyssa Howard are seen on their wedding day with a field and sunset in the background.