So to celebrate, I want to share how agriculture has changed my life.
I was not born on a farm. I was not raised on a farm. My family, at least the ones living near me, don't have ties to agriculture or farming or anything like that. So where did I come from?
I can ride horses with the best of them. I can handle cattle like a pro. I know what Garth is talking about when he sings about 'latigo' in his song 'Rodeo'. I listen to country, which was a given. I own multiple pairs of cowboy boots and a handful of cowboy hats. I own a pair of chaps, too. Did ya know that? Betcha didn't. I have a heifer halter hanging in my basement on a nail. Yes, a heifer halter. And I know what a heifer is. I can drive a tractor and a combine. I am at home in the middle of corn and bean fields. I like big trucks and camo and hunting.
Up until I was in about 6th grade, I had no interest or even knowledge of anything 'agriculture'. Except horses. But every girl my age was dreaming of horses. In 7th grade, I saw an ad for The Morning Flame Riders. It was a group looking for volunteers to help at a stable. The Riders was a group for the handicapped and/or disabled to teach them to ride and care of an animal and build confidence. And just to have fun, really. I asked my dad and he took me out to see what it was all about. I joined instantly. I either helped groom horses and tack them up, lead the horse during the lesson, or walked next to the horses side to make sure the rider was balancing and wouldn't fall off. I loved it. Eventually, The Riders moved to a new stable closer to town. I went with them. There I met the people of my future. My friends, the loves of my life. The Riders used this second facility, "Gainey", for nearly a year before personalities clashed and they moved elsewhere. I was in 8th grade at this time. But when The Riders left, I stayed at Gainey. Horses became my life. The bus would drop me off after school in front of Gainey, I would do chores and then I was allowed to ride one of the lesson horses for an hour. Then my parents would pick me up. I did that nearly every day. My parents rarely had to ground me or take away normal privilages. They knew they could threaten to 'ground' me from Gainey and I would do my house chores and homework in a flash.
Gainey is also where I met my best friend 'Bri'. She showed dairy cattle with her mom and uncle. Her uncle also happened to be Tami's boyfriend. I started joining Bri on her trips to another farm to work with her cattle for the county fair and completely fell in love. I started showing horses and dairy cattle. I got up at 4am to milk cows and bath them. Then I would run to the horse barn and start working horses.
I have to back up here. Lets go back to the 8th grade. My friend Melinda was a year older than myself. And she was in the 9th grade. Grades 9 through 12 were held at the high school. During my summer between 8th and 9th grade, Melinda gave me a tour of the high school so I wouldnt be so afraid of it. (Yeah, high school terrified me. I'd heard the stories of what they did to the freshman) Anyways... At the end of our tour, we left the building and crossed the lot to a smaller building on the property. Melinda introduced me to the Egg Building. Yeah, egg. I had no idea what she was talking about. Neither did she apparently, because she didnt seem to know her way around that particular building. Then she confirmed my suspicions by claiming to never have spent time out there.
I later discovered that it was the 'Ag Building' rather than the egg building. Ag as in Agriculture. Classes out there ranged from small or large animal care, aquaculture, to shop (vehicles), horticulture, wildlife management and greenhouse. I didnt know all this during my original tour. But upon entering the 9th grade, I soon discovered that my place was not with the preppie cool kids in the commons as it had been in junior high. It was in the Ag building, with the country kids. I took every single class offered in that building. And when I was a junior and senior in high school and had a project pass (a project pass is when you had enough credits that you didnt have to take 4 full classes in a day, and could pick a class and just help the teacher or do homework or whatever) I would request my passes in the Ag Building. Through a mistake on my advisor's part, I was able to take 'Greenhouse' class twice, and have a project pass in the class. Meaning I basically went through the class 3 times. Once with the pass, and twice on my own account, acing it both times. The Ag Building had a greenhouse attached to it. Even now I feel warm and happy thinking about high school. I hated the required classes. But I was happy and at home when I was in the Ag building, taking classes that mattered to me. And I was good at it. Never got less than a B+ in any class offered in that building.
And the people I met there... How wonderful and kind are most country/farm people anyways... They are just the best. I was in FFA and 4H in high school. I loved the field trips we would take. We went to the arboritum many many times. It was there that I first decided I wanted to be a landscape designer. I know, I dont do that now. But I still dream of it. I love having my hands in the dirt. If I had a billion dollars, I would pay all of it to experience again everything I did in the Ag Building. Its where my heart still lies.
Today, I don't do much agriculturally or horticulturally. Becoming an adult kind of jumped in the way of my dreams. But it will happen someday for me again. I happen to be in love with a man who wants that for me, too. And when the time is right, we will head to the country and I will re-live my dreams again. I love my horses... But I'm not nearly as involved as I once was. I dont drive tractors or dump spreaders or show cattle anymore. But I did once. And I will again.
You might find me revelling more in my country past this week. I have more stories up my sleeve. Stories of love and laughter and friends. There were many beginnings in the country. And I fully intend to share them.
Anyways... I shudder to think what my life would be like today had I not been so taken with agriculture growing up. Who would I be if I had been like the other girls, jumping and screaming over cow shit? Who would I be if my dad had chosen to buy me a car instead of that 87 Jeep Grand Wagoneer with the wooden panels? Who would I be if my high school sweet heart had been a dumb, preppy jock who partied instead of the big hog showing, mud slinging truck driving, redneck football playing country kid that he was? So many little things influenced my life, always bringing me back to the country.
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