We love this article, WolfenWarrior, but we have a feeling you’re holding out on us with the cute animal stories. –Sparkitors
Ahh, farm life. Depending on who you are, the term brings to mind either rolling hills, beautiful scenery, and bouncing baby animals, OR huge heaps of, uh, waste, mud, and smelly animals. The truth is that farm life is a little of both. But the good, the bad, and the ugly are all part of what makes country livin’ so darn great. Most of the time.
The BAD:
Poo. Lots and lots of it. There is never a shortage of poo, and no matter how often you may clean out the pasture, chicken coops (yes, that’s plural), and barns, there will always be more. It’s especially fun when the animals choose to christen their newly cleaned abode as soon as you’ve finished.
Bad weather is bad. Rain and snow become your worst enemies, and ice is that dreaded fiend that fills your heart with terror. While great for the garden, rain makes a muddy mess, which you WILL slip in. Snow is worse, especially when it’s so high that you have to shovel out the openings to the chicken coops and barns. Ice is by far the worst, because unless the animals have heated water bowls, you have to get hot water from the house and wait in the freezing cold while their frozen water melts.
Wild animals. While beautiful to look at, these critters can be a huge pain, and very dangerous. If you have outdoor cats, be assured that raccoons and possums WILL steal cat food. And not leave. Common predators like foxes and coyotes (also pronounced ‘kai-oats’ down in the south) can be a real threat to you and your livestock.
The animals. When your animal population gets to be in their 30s, get used to things going wrong. A lot. There are too many animal illnesses to name, and different ones for each species. You also have to learn very quickly to deal with death—many animals will die, whether from old age, predators, or illness. They also cost a lot in feed, health care, and general upkeep, which brings me to my last point…
You will no longer have any money. At all. Unless you’re crazy rich or something. Animal care, repairs, seeds, new fences, new buildings, replacement animals, plus all the regular bills that non-farming people pay—this and more is what it takes to keep a farm going. If you fall behind on paying for something once, it can take a while to recover.
Now for the GOOD stuff! Which usually makes the bad all worth it:
The poo! Wonderful, glorious poo is the gardener’s lifesaver! It’s great for the soil, and you can use what you need and SELL the rest! People actually buy it in bags! And apparently it can help cure baldness!
The great environment. Living on a farm means living out in the country, where there’s clean, crisp air and wide open spaces, and the only traffic jams are caused by tractors. Next to going to a national park, a farm is the best place to feel truly close to nature.
The animals! Yeah they’re hard work, and yes, they can be a pain sometimes (like when they steal your soda and drink it), but there is nothing better than seeing animals all around you. Goats have hysterical personalities, and their constant mischief keeps you on your toes. (My Boer goat gets stuck in his hay net all the time.) Sheep are bit calmer, cows can be good companions, rabbits are, obviously, cute and fluffy, and don’t forget the alpacas, llamas, and horses! Oh, and of course the dogs and cats! Sometimes I much prefer the company of animals to humans. They talk to you through their actions, and they always love you for who you are. (As long as you feed them.)
You get business savvy. You quickly learn to use every aspect of your farm to make money—from raising livestock, to selling produce, to giving farm tours.
The lifestyle. Not only do you meet great people in the farming community, but you have a better understanding of what it takes to grow the things we use or eat every day. And how many people can say they’ve experienced the miracle of watching the birth of a baby animal?
You get to say you live on a farm. And how cool is that?!
Do you live on a farm? Tell us your cute animal stories! Or, you know, your stories about poo.
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